Against All Odds
by koobabear
Summary: On a misadventure, Sakura finds herself with the most unlikely of companions. AU, set before Shippuden. Sasori x Sakura.
1. Two Missions

**Against All Odds**

**Full Summary: **On a chance adventure, one untold of in a rational world, Sakura finds herself with the most unlikely of companions. In a world that never existed, Sasori learns things he'd never let himself know. Multi-chapter. Shippuden AU. Sasori x Sakura

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ isn't mine.

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**1: Two Missions**

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_They say that deep within the Fire Country, our great country itself, there are two iron gates, red and crossed, blue and bent, placed deep in the valley of the highest mountain, the most treacherous mountain in the world. Indeed, it is a mountain covered by clouds so thick and snow so cold that not even the stars can see the top. The mountain has no outside passages, no winding trails to guide you; no, it has only cliffs too steep to climb, and heights too tall to reach._

_But within those gates lies a path, the only path, to the top of the mountain. And at the top of the mountain lies a secret that men have died for and even the gods have begged to know._

_But a secret, it has remained._

_For anyone who's dared to enter, anyone who has desired to know this secret, never reached the top, and very few have ever returned. And those who have returned have only tales of horror, of an unending maze full of monsters and the bodies of those who had so ultimately failed. They say that their screams still echo throughout the cavern walls._

_So why would men fight for such a secret? Why would they want this information, at the risk and against the odds?_

_They wish for this because the secret makes a life whole, a life complete, a life worth living, and a true meaning to both the world and of you._

----

"And with that," Sakura said flatly, shutting the book entitled _The Tales of Our Great Fire Country_, "it's time for bed. Alright, kids. Story time is over."

"But Sakura-san," one little orphan who leaned on her lap whined, digging her nails into the older girl's skin, "we don't want to go to bed. We want another story."

"You've wheedled enough stories out of me already," Sakura said wearily, wincing and gently taking the little girl's hand off her thigh. "If you make me read them all tonight, there will be none tomorrow." In truth, Sakura had taken this job on as a chore to her master and Hokage, Tsunade-sama, while waiting for Naruto to come home after a long two and a half years. Something about charity and community service, as if being a fully qualified chuunin wasn't enough already! But she digressed. They were orphans, poor kids without parents like Naruto and Sasuke-kun. And besides, she really did like little kids, and they were sort of a welcome break to the harsh training her master usually offered.

Except for all this damn _whining_. Ugh, didn't they have anything better to do, like, pick their noses or something?

"Yeah," a little kid complained. "That one was so boring and stupid. We don't even know what the secret is!"

"That's why it's a secret, dumb-dumb," another kid shot back. "What's more _stupid_ is the point of the secret itself. I mean, what's so great about a life worth meaning?"

As the chattering increased, Sakura waved to them all. "Now, now," she said, trying to calm them down while her Inner Sakura screamed bloody murder, "it's a good story. And knowing life's meaning and knowing your life _had_ meaning would be nice. It would mean that you wouldn't fear dying, that in a way, you will have conquered death."

"But it was a dumb story!" a girl shouted, not even listening to the pink-haired storyteller. "And what was with it, talking about _men_ all the time? Has a woman ever entered that cavern? I'm sure they have, but no, no, these stories are all written about men and _boys_! And they have cooties!"

"Yeah, it was written like crap!" another kid agreed, and soon the whole group chorused their agreement.

"Well, it's really old," Sakura trailed off, giving up pretty quickly. There was no point in making excuses for some little brats, and hell yeah about the men thing, but really! Why were kids so damn politically correct these days? Stories like these were supposed to make you think, not just lay out the world like a textbook! Perhaps there was no answer, but that was the point. It was interesting, but if these ingrates were unwilling to-

"Sakura!" About ten heads spun in the direction of the black-haired woman who just disturbed her thinking, their whining alike. Sakura smiled at the intruder, half grateful that she offered an excuse to not embarrass herself in front of a bunch of little kids _and_ half grateful because she really did respect Shizune. If she begged hard enough, Shizune often would help put the kids to bed.

"Rumors are circulating," Shizune said, not even raising an eyebrow at the amount of kids tackling Sakura. "They say Uzumaki Naruto will return soon."

First, utter and total shock. Well, the time frame was correct, but…

"He will!? He really will?" Sakura asked delighted, standing up immediately and dropping her book along with the three kids hanging onto her. They landed on the floor with a thud, but Sakura was too excited to realize she just returned payback to the kids' incessant nagging. Her friend would finally return… and they would finally find Sasuke-kun together…

Tears began forming at the corner of her eye, but for once, Sakura didn't really care. These were tears of joy. Because she knew with their strength combined, they could bring back Sasuke-kun. The happiness that Sakura had always wished for would finally be found.

"Yes," Shizune said, interrupting her thoughts, though her face softened slightly at her junior's expression. Hardening her eyes though, Shizune continued in a business-like manner. "But in the meantime, you have a mission."

Sakura nodded quickly, eager to ditch the kids.

"When do I begin?" she asked, rubbing her eyes quickly with the back of her hand.

"Tomorrow," Shizune replied handing her a scroll. She gave the whole room a stern glance. "Get a good night's rest."

Sakura flipped open the scroll in surprise as Shizune left the room. Her eyes widened as she read the contents. How ironic…

"Well?" one child chimed to her, and the others all huddled around. "Well, what does it say?"

Furrowing her brows, Sakura said, "It says… I'm supposed to go to the country's highest mountain, the mountain that we just read about, and receive some herbs. It's about a day's journey from here to the mountain, so it will take about two days. There are certain medicines that grow only within that area."

"You're gonna enter that cave?" one little kid cried. "I don't want Sakura-san to die!"

Sakura laughed reassuringly and patted the child on the head. "Don't worry," she promised. "I don't even have to touch the mountain." She paused. "And if there's any belief to these miserable stories, then only an idiot would enter anyway."

----

Early morning and deep within the Fire Country, two cloaked figures approached an iron gate, red and crossed, at the valley of the highest mountain.

"But, Sasori-danna," the blonde whined impatiently, "if you get lost in that cave, you'll surely die."

Though the massive scorpion-esque figure beside the boy had no real eyes to roll, irritation emanated from it as much as the usual danger it possessed. Deidara, though, was completely unafraid of the giant puppet. The real Sasori-danna, though a mere puppet itself, was in there. Besides, it wasn't like his friend didn't get mad at him every five minutes. As the approached the cave gate, the great figure rumbled at the man beside him.

"Shut up, Deidara," it instructed in a deep baritone. "I know what I'm doing."

The blonde hesitated. He wasn't exactly the superstitious type or the kind that even _listened_ to fairytales, but not even he really wanted to screw with legends that had been proven over and over again to be true. He shook his head at his senior.

"They say that those who get lost in there never return, yeah," the blonde warned. "Danna, I really don't want you to go in there. I know _I'm_ not going in there, and I don't care about what our leader says!"

Yes, Pein, quite naturally, had sent them on a suicidal mission, and that part, Deidara didn't mind at all. But when he learned it was just digging up some old legends in some haunted cave that many were thought to never return… well, where was the fun in blowing things up? But when Deidara approached Pein about the issue, he learned that Sasori had already agreed.

The great machine beside him heaved a mighty sigh, creaking as it did. "You don't have to," it replied. "I just want to receive the cavern's secret, and I don't really care about what the leader says." Its head seemed arched in thought. "This secret sounds interesting. I wouldn't mind having it for myself."

Turning its massive head to its companion, Sasori continued, reciting, "They say that those who have received that secret will have lived completely and have a life that's whole, will have a completeness." It paused. "Considering that I'm going to live forever, a whole life seems like a good idea. Not to mention-"

"The incredible power that this secret offers, yeah, as well as the bragging rights that you went in there and lived. Yeah, yeah," Deidara interrupted, imitating the story-telling tone and indicating that he had heard the tale at least dozen times. Not that he liked it. Deidara figured that life was a bang, and that it was whole if that was how you went out. His master had a lot to learn. "But, Sasori-danna, are you sure this is a good time? Our leader wasn't too direct about this. We also have to find the jinchuu-"

"No we don't," the man within the machine replied, lashing its steely tail in impatience. "At least, not yet. We still have about half a year, and receiving this secret will only take five minutes. There's plenty of time."

Deidara groaned as they approached the cavern gate. Yes, there was no point in dissuading his mentor, his partner, and the closest thing he had to a friend. Deidara peered through the bars, and shivered slightly at the darkness. He wasn't scared of the dark, but he didn't want that blackness to swallow Sasori-danna forever. Instead his eyes turned to an inscription beside the gate, ravaged by time and barely readable. Squinting, he read the caption out loud.

"_Abandon hope, those who enter here… for you will only find what you not seek_," he said. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Couldn't they have been more original? It doesn't seem like a serious threat."

"That's because it's _not_ a serious threat, Deidara," Sasori explained as he pushed the gate open. "Like I said, five minutes. And you know I hate to keep people waiting."

Deidara nodded hesitantly, obviously not convinced.

"Good luck, yeah," he said in a voice surprisingly small and most unlike his own.

And with a final nod of acknowledgment, the machine was consumed by the darkness, his partner waiting in the bright sunlight outside.

----

Getting to the mountain was surprisingly easy. Finding this herb was surprisingly not.

She had gotten about two hours of sleep last night, skipped it, and decided to go to the mountain right away. For some reason, most likely Naruto's return, she was anxious and unable to rest. Her trip was fast, and she had arrived there by late morning. Now all she had to do was find the thing and go home.

"Let's see," Sakura muttered as she flipped through the instructions. "_The leaves of this herb can only be found on the sharpest of cliffs, cliffs found commonly only within the mountain region of the Fire Country_." She paused, her eyebrows narrowed in frustration. "Well, that's nice. Good to know I'm in the right spot," she muttered, gesturing to the giant mountain range beside her. Though the movement was small, Sakura was actually very impressed. It was _huge_, bigger than even the legends had caused her to believe, probably because it was real now, not just some story But at the same time, it was ominous and sinister. It was sunny and cloudy at the same time (the weather patterns were most unnatural), and trees in the forest _moved_, she was sure of it. And the animals seemed to watch her, and even though she knew it was probably just a bunch of lousy mind tricks…

Yes, best to get out as quickly as possible.She scanned the scroll. "Let's see… needs the right atmosphere and environment… check, check, check…" She sighed. "I'm definitely in the right place, right? But where's the damn plant?"

As if in answering her call, a bird swooped down beside her. If bird's had human expressions, this one would've been smiling as it looked her directly into the eye. Beckoning its head towards a thick patch of bushes, Sakura frowned at it.

Somehow, this bird, bright blue and small, seemed eerily… human. Although part of her wanted to run back to Konoha screaming bloody murder, the other part, a larger and stupider part, was absolutely captivated. It was as if the bird was bringing those legends, legends she heard as a child and legends she read to small orphans now, to life in perhaps the most legend-like fashion. It was admittedly fascinating.

"What?" she asked curiously. "You want me to follow you?" Inwardly, she was definitely uncomfortable. Listening to a bird. She must've been going crazy… Still, this was her only lead. She followed the bird's advice anyway, and ran straight into the thick of the woods.

"Ouch!" The thorns in the bushes were sharp, sharp enough to cut her side anyway. Stupid skimpy ninja outfit. It was only like that for _girls_. The bird twittered happily, and Sakura glared at it.

"Oh," she asked, disregarding the fact that she was now really _conversing_ with the bird despite the lack of special happenings, "you think that's funny, huh?"

The bird chirped in reply. Sakura could feel the veins popping. Here she was, about to see Naruto, about to search for Sasuke-kun, and the only thing in her way was a useless map and a bird that wanted a look at her legs! Really, the world was so unfair sometimes…

"Why, you-" She lunged at the bird. But with that unfinished threat, Sakura fell forward in through the bushes and down a cliff. She landed with a loud "umph."

This place really sucked. She hadn't even noticed that cliff even existed at all, an observation that went against her ninja upbringing. It was almost as if a hole had formed beneath her feet and sucked her in. But no, she was only making lousy excuses for her clumsiness…

She stood up and brushed the dirt off her butt.

"Great," she said sarcastically, not even bothering to notice that the bird had disappeared. "Now, I'm even lower than I started-"

And she suddenly stopped. For before her was… a gate. Overgrown with ferns, twisted and bent wires, but a blue gate nonetheless, proud and tall, despite the overgrowth and its age. And the bars seemed to lead only to darkness, an unnatural darkness that allowed not even light from the outside to begin. She looked through it, and to her surprise, it seemed that if she walked through the gate, she'd walk down a gift. Gazing in disbelief, her heart raced. _Blue and bent. _She thought that was a _legend_…

There was an inscription on the gate, and unusually enough, it seemed as if the vines had been cleared for someone to read it despite the way that the land looked untouched, as if no person had been there for ages. She peered at it carefully.

"_Trust your heart for it will be your only guide… and you will be your only shield."_

Against her smarter and saner judgment, she walked forward and touched the bars. Incredible… It was so alluring it might as well have been calling to her. She stopped right there, eyes wide open. Calling to her? What the hell?

Sakura laughed and leaned casually against the gate as if that motion would erase the very bad feeling that crept up her spine.

"Gosh, my mind must be playing tricks on itself…"

Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But either way, Sakura had pressed perhaps a bit too hard, and suddenly, the hinges of the gate twisted further backward. Before she could even react, the gate fell through, and Sakura with it. But she didn't hit earth immediately. No, she fell far, far down into a bottomless pit, pitch black and on for what felt like forever.

The blue bird chirped, signaling the afternoon.

----

**AN**: Made because there isn't enough SasoSaku love out there. It's a great pairing, and at least it had some screen time. Sorry for the fast pace, but it doesn't really begin rolling until chapter five or six. It's a long fic, especially considering it was made on a whim of mine.

And yes, like so many other authors out there, my Sakura is probably quite a bit out of character. But don't blame us. It's not _our_ fault she's like a fandom bicycle.


	2. Newfound Religion

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ isn't mine.

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**2: Newfound Religion**

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For perhaps one of the first times in his fairly long life, Sasori truly regretted his decision. Okay, Deidara had been correct. This place was honestly horrible, and no secret, no matter how wholesome, was really worth his time, and soon, those promised five minutes would be up. Pein would be displeased, but _he_ could get the secret itself, if he dared. He was keeping Deidara waiting, and he despised making people wait especially for what may have been a practical joke on his leader's part. Not that Pein was the joking type…

But unfortunately, Sasori could not find the entrance from which he had come in. The place had turned into a maze, an impossible and annoyingly dark maze, and while Sasori had pulled every trick in the book, used his genius to his every advantage, he could not find the way out. It seemed at every turn, there was a wall and at every wall, the path forked in two. And while Sasori had even tried the old-fashioned string trick, he realized, rather dully, that the string seemed to be cut or burned from behind, but when he tried to find the source, it had _mysteriously_ disappeared.

Seriously creepy indeed. Not even Hiruko, the puppet he operated, could compare.

He twitched Hiruko's tail, uncharacteristically nervous. It was odd but Hiruko didn't seem to move as well as usual. The reflexes weren't the same, though his hands moved twice as fast. _He _could move alright, but his favorite toy wasn't working, making him most displeased. Perhaps, he needed to adjust the joints…

But lost in thought, Sasori didn't even recognize that there was another living thing watching him, waiting, not until at least, it swept down and attacked.

----

Sakura groaned as she pulled herself up, untangling her arm from the gate's wire. Oh, how could she have been so stupid? _Only idiots would enter the cave_… no, really, Sakura? Because only a really smart person would lean against an ancient, vine-covered gate and expect it to hold!

She slapped her forehead. Yes, what had _possessed_ her to lean against the damn gate? Not that she really believed any of those legends, but, she realized dimly as she looked up, the entrance was no where to be found. Groaning, she must've fallen down so far that it was hidden, even though it had felt like she fell only ten feet. It was as if this place denied the very laws of physics that she had spent memorizing for half her life…

Oh. This was just _so_ wrong.

Rubbing her side and muttering that this was way too much work for just one plant, Sakura decided to begin walking, despite it being so difficult to see. The ground was soft and earthy, and while everything seemed pitch black, she decided that there would have to be _something_ worth finding in the cave. She reached down to the soil. Perhaps, she could find the herb in here after all. Or maybe this was all just one big illusion. One big, really creepy illusion…

She continued walking.

----

Sasori couldn't decide whether it was a bird's or reptile's skeleton. Either way, it was damn ugly, damn disturbing, and made Hiruko look like a Teddy Bear, something which really did piss him off. He reared Hiruko's ugly head. Okay, so the cave thing was definitely a very, very bad idea. Pein meet pain.

"I'm making someone wait for me," he grumbled through Hiruko, and creature just shrieked ceaselessly in reply. Had he been human, he was sure it would affect his ears with that annoying pitch. Not like it didn't already. "You're in the way."

But the bird-reptile didn't seem to care, and instead, swooped again, fangs bared. How could they still be sharp? The thing looked as if it were a hundred years old! He lashed out at it, but the bone-made creature merely flew higher into the cavern, into a space that Sasori hadn't even realized was there. What was _up_ with this place, figuratively _and_ literally? This was not worth anything at all…

But, he realized, he was stuck here, stuck trying to defeat this bird creature or he'd die in a cave all alone. And he said he was going to live forever.

Well, he was. Hiruko's tail, long and fast as it was, could not reach its target, and so, Sasori decided, it was time to pull out a new trick.

"Lucky bird, you get to face our greatest Kazekage," he said, as he unraveled the scroll which contained his strongest weapon and his favorite puppet.

The bird-lizard screeched nosily. Hiruko creaked again. Nothing else happened. Sasori felt shock, something he hadn't really experienced in a very long time.

Wordlessly, Sasori took out scrolls to his many individual puppets, trying them all. But they wouldn't appear.

"I can't use my weapons," he breathed. "What the hell is wrong with this place?"

----

"_Everything_ is _wrong_ with this place!" Sakura shouted into the emptiness. "This place, this place" echoed against the walls, but soon, only silence remained. "Damn it!" Sakura shouted again, and this time, the echo was even shorter. She slumped onto the ground again and buried her face in her knees. Though Tsunade-sama had taught her to be patient, to wait and listen, she couldn't stand it anymore. It felt as if she had been stuck here forever, though she doubted whether it was more than an hour. There was nothing she could do…

"I'm not going to die here, am I?"

A creaking sound came from a chamber not far from her but deeper still within the maze. Sakura hesitated. She'd had enough of listening to nature's great messages, but she didn't really have much of a choice. She'd die here anyway, right? Might as well follow one more.

She followed the clash, her hands clenched into fists. And as, she listened to the noises, she almost smiled. It sounded like a battle.

And battles were something that Sakura could do.

----

Metal against bone, screech against creak, the ungodly versus the mechanic… Hiruko's tail clashed once again against the bird's wings and the sounds of metal and wood resounded throughout the chamber. It was so loud. But no one would hear it…

He could not fight against the bird. He had attacked at every angle, at every weak point, but the creature didn't even come close to defeat. When it broke, it repaired itself. When it failed, it restarted, and Hiruko's metallic stinger could not penetrate its bone.

How could he win? There was just no way… just no answer…

And then suddenly, completely on cue, a girl stumbled into the chamber.

Sasori's first impression was that she had pink hair. Bright pink hair. Emerald eyes. Generally pleasing features. It was natural for a puppet master to recognize these things, these odd characteristics that would make a character memorable and a play attractive. And then, he saw her step forward with an easiness that surprised him. The way she moved – it was far too graceful for the ordinary. This girl was a _ninja_, same as him.

She looked back curiously from Hiruko to the bird, her eyes flashing from fright to determination. She readied her stance, as if this scene were absolutely normal, as if it were just another mission. Well, at least she didn't _seem_ to be a ditz…

"So," she asked curiously, "tell me, greatly annoying nature spirits, which side am I on?"

Okay, so maybe she was. Sasori had no idea what the hell she was raving about, but, he reasoned, she was probably in a pretty similar position as him if she thought he was a _nature spirit_. He made a mental note to make Hiruko look more menacing. And although he wasn't who she addressed exactly, he could at least answer the question.

"Mine," he said simply, waving Hiruko's tail at her. "Do you know how to defeat this bird?"

The girl looked at him completely startled that he could talk. Or that he spoke so casually. Sasori made another mental note to speak loudly and ominously when he pretended to be a nature spirit. Not that he really planned on doing that again, and soon, her time would be up.

"I thought it was a lizard."

Definitely a ditz. Okay, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway. He hissed through Hiruko's wooden teeth.

"I guess you don't know then."

The bird swooped; he parried it with the tail. The girl watched it curiously.

"Is that metal?"

"And poison," Sasori replied icily as he batted that creature away. Cursing his luck, Sasori continued waving the tail around. _Obviously_ metal. So, here he was about to die, a pink-haired brat beside him, a brat who just stood there, completely worthless. Well that was fair enough, he supposed, the fate that he deserved for his rather unconventional lifestyle. But if he survived, he made himself promise he would never doubt Deidara again… except maybe on art…

"But it isn't you," the girl muttered quietly. She looked at him. "Is that your real body?"

What did that matter? But Sasori shook Hiruko's head anyway. "It's a puppet."

But the girl didn't seem to be listening. Amidst all the clashing and the banging, she paced back and forth, and Sasori almost admired her courage. Or idiocy. Sometimes there was no difference between the two. "_You_ will be your only shield…" she murmured briefly, her eyes closed as if she was trying to remember something. "I wonder if… the substance has to be organic…"

"Well, the attacker certainly is _organic_," Sasori muttered dryly. "It's made of dirt and bone."

Suddenly, the girl raced over towards him, her fist behind her. She aimed a punch at the bird with a mighty swing.

Miss! But the wall before her crumbled into bits, and Sasori raised his eyes appreciatively, despite his initial impression. Such brute strength from a pink-haired brat. Ditz or not, she could hurl a nice swing.

But however nice it was, he noted, she couldn't reach it. The bird didn't target her. And, Sasori realized quickly, the bird didn't target her most likely because _she could hurt it_. Though now, she wasn't tall enough or fast enough.

But Hiruko was.

"Jump onto the tail," he instructed to the kunoichi as he extended it towards her. Without hesitation, she was on, surfing on the tail against the bird, his fingers, her eyes chasing the bird in determined unison.

It clashed with her hand.

The bones flew everywhere.

Ditz indeed.

"Well, it's gone," she said approvingly as she studied her hand which was completely unharmed, and Sasori was almost annoyed that this little girl managed to destroy what had previously been a great adversary to him as easily as swatting a fly. She changed her focus from her hand onto Hiruko's face, completely oblivious to his disgrace.

"So it seems only living things can destroy the living dead," she noted. Sighing slightly, she jumped off Hiruko's tail, landing skillfully before him. She almost extended a hand to him, but after surveying Hiruko, she offered instead a faltering smile. Sasori snorted slightly beneath his puppet, but the girl didn't hear him. Instead, she introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Haruno Sakura. So what are you exactly?"

Sasori ignored her as he mulled over this newly acquired information, facing the very, very unfortunate facts about this god-forsaken cave. One, Hiruko couldn't hurt his enemies. Two, he couldn't use his fucking puppets. Three, he couldn't even use _himself_ considering that these things could only be defeated by organic material, and an unfortunate side-effect of becoming a puppet himself, was that he really wasn't organic anymore. And these three facts all pointed to dependence upon this bright-haired Haruno Sakura who may or may not be a ditz.

Yes, Deidara deserved more credit than he gave him credit for.

----

**AN**: The only thing I hate more than reading action chapters is writing them. Now, if you really just hate, hate, hate chapter 3, then you probably won't ever come to like this story. But for now, please forgive the plot devices and bear with me for at least one more chapter. I only have a few action chapters planned… some at the beginning, some at the end. But really, I prefer romance. Don't worry; they'll get out of the cave soon enough (sort of).

It's harder to update now that school's started. And thanks so much for the reviews. I wasn't expecting any, and all of them were wonderful. :)


	3. Introductions

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ isn't mine.

----

**3: Introductions**

----

Glancing at the being before her in irritation, Sakura asked again.

"Well, what are you exactly?" The rude thing didn't even bother to answer, its head staring lifelessly into space. Were all the damned spirits around here _this_ annoying? Another route sounded like a _very_ good idea.

"Fine," she huffed. "Don't answer that. It was kind of impolite."

Still nothing even though she had just apologized. Was it even _listening _to her?

"Hey!" she shouted. "At least tell me _who_ you are!" And with that cry, she ran up to it far against her better, more awake judgment and punched its giant head, hard enough to hurt, but light enough not to cause any real damage. She jumped back in amazement.

_Wood chips_… It was a machine. And the markings on it… It had been made recently. By someone skilled. A –

"A person who doesn't associate with teenage brats," the machine said, swiveling its head to look directly into her eyes again. Its voice was rich and deep, but somewhat mechanical as if it was being altered through, so that the person within had another voice entirely. "Or at least, doesn't like to."

Now, it was Sakura's turn to ignore him.

"You're not a spirit!" she moaned, disgusted with herself and her brief newfound religion to justify all the very strange and unfortunate things that had happened to her thus far. "You're a ninja!"

"Tell me something I don't know," the machine replied dryly, and it moved its tail onto the ground, slowly and in control but reluctantly at the same time. It turned its head over its shoulder, a remarkable feat for its size and structure.

"Damn," it muttered aloud. "I can't even move its tail well anymore. What kind of place _is_ this?"

Sakura frowned in surprise before gasping in realization. Something about his movements reminded her of Kankurou-san. "You're a puppet master!"

"Puppet master, metal tail, not a spirit," the machine sighed to itself, obviously very, very annoyed. "Of all the idiots I could've been paired with, I get the greatest idiot at all. Why must this happen again and again?" Although the puppet held no expression, the user seemed to slump in resignation. Grudgingly, it addressed her, shifting its whole posture towards her face. "But unfortunately, I'm going to need your help."

"My help?" Sakura asked, wisely avoiding his insults. She needed information _now _if she wanted to ever see daylight, let alone her friends, ever again. "What, you can't beat those things?"

The machine seemed to tense as if that information made him extremely displeased. "Yes," he said, his voice bitter even through the puppet's alterations. "It seems that I've lost all my weapons. Not that it matters, anyway as those things can only be beaten if they're _organic_, so they wouldn't work no matter what." He shook his head, defeated.

"Living destroys the living dead," he repeated, almost as if he was mad that she had discovered that before he had. "Well, that's not ironic at all…"

Sakura scowled at the beast before her. Sarcastic, huge, utterly worthless, not to mention completely _rude_. But Sakura could also look at it with pity. Had she been in his situation, she would have expected help as well. She couldn't abandon a sentient being.

She groaned. Damn conscience.

"Well," she said, struggling to make her voice sound kind and not at all embarrassed about how miserably she failed, "if we're going to work together, we might as well introduce ourselves." She sighed. Step one all over again. "Um… Let's restart. My name is Haruno Sakura. What's your name?"

The puppet and its master paused. There was an uncomfortable silence as it seemed to weigh its options. Finally, it nodded to her.

"Sasori," it said briefly with a don't-ask-questions tone. Sakura rolled her eyes. Excuse her, but she wasn't the one in need right now!

"What, no last name?" she demanded, ignoring the unspoken message completely. The device flickered in irritation.

"No."

Although there was a thin layer of amusement in his voice, perhaps at her choice of words, for some reason, Sakura knew it wasn't a lie. But she also knew it wasn't the whole truth.

Still though, she couldn't dwell on it. She really needed to get out of this cave, this miserable hovel, and forget about the plant which was way more trouble than it was worth. Closing her eyes, she thought about what she already missed, though it had merely been a day. And then, she thought of the goals she swore to achieve. To see Naruto. To be with Sasuke-kun. To keep those promises she could afford to break no longer. Her eyes flashed open, pure determination raging through her body and saturating her words. If the machine was going to be stubborn and bitchy, that was fine. But it wasn't going to be useless entirely.

"Any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"No."

In the back of her mind, Inner Sakura screamed in defeat, but still, she kept her focus and her head clear. She needed to think…

"I suppose our best option is to begin walking," the machine noted dryly. "Let's go, Haruno Sakura."

Yes, she needed to think, but she also needed to move. At least the machine had some sense.

"Alright, Sasori," she said, already beginning their journey, anxious, but trying to be steady. "Lead the way."

----

Deidara sweated uncomfortably in the sweltering heat. How had the morning chill escaped into a tropical forest? And Sasori-danna really wasn't coming back… It had definitely been over five minutes…

Deidara was tempted to rush into the cave and save his partner, screaming gallantly at any curses which come as they would, might try to get in his way. But at the same time, the cave was spooky and Deidara's gut instinct, which was a _very_ good gut instinct, protested very, _very_ loudly. And if Sasori-danna had been lost in it forever, what exactly were the chances of Deidara succeeding in bringing him back? Quite slim, he knew, and not ones he was about to waste his time and possibly life on.

"_Deidara_."

Deidara frowned at the unexpected voice in his head. What did the leader want this time?

"_Go to the Hidden Sand_," Pein's voice instructed, "_and capture the one-tail. Immediately._" Well, that was extremely unfortunate for Danna.

Deidara weighed his options. There was no point in trying to break his leader's orders. Okay, he would get the demon, enlist help from the Akatsuki, and then find Danna. It was the only plan he had with any real success. And besides, Danna could last… a week… at the very, very least…

Okay, so a week was a very long time and more than a week was even longer. But he had to believe in his companion.

----

"Why did you come in here anyway?"

Sasori inclined Hiruko. The kid certainly did like to talk. A _lot_. It was annoying, very much so, but in a way, that needless chatter sort of reminded him of Deidara which, for a reason he didn't quite understand, made it slightly more tolerable. And to be fair, the question was sound. He sighed within his puppet.

"On a mission," he said flatly.

"Oh," the Haruno girl said. "Same here, I guess." She seemed sort of embarrassed about the whole mission thing, not that Sasori really cared. It didn't matter why she had come. All that mattered was that she helped him get out, and he honestly didn't need to hear her frivolous words. He knew everything he really needed to know about her already. She had brute strength, she wasn't entirely stupid, and she was, judging by her headband, a kunoichi of Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf. Why did he need to know anything else?

"Well, how long have you been stuck here?"

Actually, that wasn't a bad question. He'd have to give her some credit.

"For a few hours, I think," he admitted. "It's hard to tell how much time has passed."

"Same here again," she said glumly. "I just hope we can get out. I'm going to see my friend."

He didn't comment (really, what kind of use would her _friend_ have to him?), and, for the time being, neither did she. They walked in a silence, neither awkward nor comfortable, just the silence of unlikely comrades, though the shifting caverns. Luckily, Sasori noted, the natural light within the caves – the crystals on the wall – seemed to increase greatly as they moved on. Although he could see well in the darkness, he knew the girl would stumble less with the more light there actually was, and the pace could quicken. Not that Hiruko could move very fast at this point. It was getting harder and harder to move his weapons. This place was made to make him miserable.

And this place, he realized, seem to go on forever. Somehow, it had transformed from a tomb-like area into untouched caves… the walls were definitely shifting somehow…

And then, the words he most wanted rang through Hiruko's ears and into his own.

"There's a light up ahead!" the girl cried and indeed, there was a bright light, a hole ahead of them. The two began racing towards it, Hiruko's creaky joints be damned.

"That's it!" she cheered. "That's the exit!"

Though somewhat exasperated with the overt celebration, Sasori couldn't help but feel some of her enthusiasm and perhaps, a small bit of triumph. So he hadn't found the secret, but he made it out alive. Not that he planned on dying in there anyway.

The exit was a large, large hole, perfectly circular, carved into the cave and the forest outside. They left the darkness, and jumped into the forest, the sun shining high above him. The kid flopped to the ground, in sheer joy.

"I never thought I'd see light again!" she said happily. "I'm coming! I'm going home! Naru-"

She paused suddenly and glanced around uneasily, Sasori sharing her realizations exactly. Something was dreadfully wrong. The trees were different from the forest before; they were tall and bare, slim and white. The forest outside the mountain was much more dense and lively. And the sun wasn't warm. It was white light. This forest… seemed dead. He shuffled with Hiruko. Harder to move than ever. The two turned behind themselves immediately to their exit upon the conclusion they each had reached.

Sasori was too pissed, too stunned, to even make a movement. The kid beside him let a moan of absolute distaste.

To make matters worst, the circular cave _entrance_ had disappeared, replaced by trees as if the darkness had never existed at all. Stuck in another dead end.

"Oh no," the girl cracked, echoing Sasori's thoughts. "We're still in this awful cave."

----

**AN**: Aw, don't you feel sorry for them? The next chapter, I'll be the first to admit, really sucks (and it's _really_ long – I was tempted to split it in two, but I didn't want two crappy chapters). It's my plot device chapter through and through. But, chapter five is one of my favorites, so if you liked this one, I really do think you can enjoy this story. If you're still unsure, stick around until chapter five and make your decision then. If you want some romance though… that won't be coming for quite a time now unfortunately! XD But come it will, I promise.

And, once again, thank you for reviewing (am I supposed to thank you all individually? XD I have no web etiquette… ;;). I know that I despise reviewing, and I'm very, very lazy about doing it (actually… I'm just lazy…), so to all the people out there who have reviewed, wow. I feel really, really good. The story is practically done (it will be updated even if I get a negative amount of reviews!), so I didn't feel the need for receiving any reviews, but… you know, I'm so human, and I love them despite my promise not to. XD. I know it can be a real pain in the ass to click the review button (that sounds sarcastic, but I swear it's not), so thank you for donating me some of your time. And sorry for such a long AN! I usually keep them short at this point, but there was a lot I wanted to say.


	4. Almost Grateful

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! If it's more polite for me to respond to each of you individually (in general, as a rule), please let me know (I won't be offended or anything). My web etiquette just sucks. XD.

----

**4: Almost Grateful**

----

Sakura didn't even know _what_ she was feeling anymore. This place… this place was evil, pure and simple, and her lousy excuse for a companion didn't seem much better. She looked at him. Well, at least he seemed to be disappointed. Not that she could really read the machine very well. And not that she really cared at this point anyway.

She threw her hands into the air, not even bothering to consider how dumb she looked. As far as she was concerned, life was over, and a little stupidity wouldn't hurt a bit.

"We're stuck here!" she cried. "I was going to see them again! And now, and now…"

Oh, Naruto. _Sasuke-kun_. She could hear his voice even when it wasn't spoken aloud, could see them both smiling briefly before turning away, their backs to her. Just like it always was; she dragged further and further behind. And what was all this for? A medicine? Those people could be as sick as they wanted to be. She hoped they all suffered and died.

"Oh shut up," Sasori said, though she was happy to hear the bitterness in his voice as well. "And get up. You'll get filthy." He scoffed disdainfully at her messy clothes, and she felt herself turn beet red. So she hadn't changed, and the journey had taken an obvious toll on her appearance. A girl can't look _perfect _all the time. "Not that you aren't already."

That was it. They were in the same crappy situation, but all this antisocial, hidden person wanted to do was insult her and then claim he needed her help. Well, he'd have to pay the price of respect. She was so through, ethics be damned.

"Oh _please_," she hissed at him. "At least I'm not so ugly that I have to hide myself in a doll!"

Ha. She could tell that he was _very_ annoyed, and she felt a grim satisfaction wash over her. Inner Sakura celebrated with shouts of delight.

"That isn't to say you couldn't use one."

_Why_? Why her of all people? Why did this have to happen? Inner Sakura had now turned more pissed than usual, utterly deflated, but utterly raving still. Snide, sarcastic asshole. She'd had enough of being shit on by guys. Briefly, she remembered the little girl who complained that the legend was all about men, men and their _machismo_. Well, the kid was right. Men sucked. The whole damn legend sucked! She stood up angrily and kicked the dirt around her.

"This isn't _fair_," she whispered, completely broken. No smarts, no strengths could save her now. She was trapped in the cave with this monster. Forever. "Why am I stuck with you?"

Sasori groaned. "I'd ask you the same question," he said, "but the answer is too obvious already. This place wants to drive me insane." He swung the mighty tail in one direction. "Come on. Let's get walking. We have to find a way out."

"Yes, let's," Sakura said sarcastically, all the anger and pessimism creeping into her voice. "Because the last time we did that, it turned out _brilliantly_!"

Suddenly, the scorpion's tail twitched as if to make a movement for her throat, though something within the machine obviously thought better of it. However, all too quickly, the machine was up in her face, its dull wooden nose almost touching hers. She didn't even flinch. He wanted to kill her? Oh, he could _try_.

"Silence, little girl," the puppet snarled. "Just because the beasts here can't hurt you doesn't prevent _me_ from doing so." It turned its head away, surveying the forest for a very long moment. The man inside seemed to control his temper, and when he spoke again, he had cooled.

"Besides," it reasoned, "at least this place is light. Now, you won't stumble clumsily like a fish out of water."

Deadly scorpion tail or not, Sakura was really ticked and feeling very rebellious. He dare threaten her after he had asked for her assistance; would he really hurt her though he needed her help? Anger getting the best of her, she decided to take her chances.

"You really are an idiot," she retorted. "The crystals probably grow better deep within the cavern. We followed the light, but we should have followed the darkness if we wanted a way out!"

"Well, I didn't see you suggest that earlier," the beast said disgusted both at her and, Sakura recognized with a smirk of contempt, that she had been completely right. "Where was this sudden stroke of brilliance when we needed it most?"

That was it, Sakura decided. They were through. She would not travel another step with this beastly person, this gloomy, bothersome person whose existence seemed to center on making her miserable.

"Like you had infinitely better ideas," she said coolly. With her fiercest glare, she spoke her thoughts aloud. "That's it. I'm not traveling with you anymore, so goodbye."

The machine seemed to be in absolute shock, almost as if no one had ever disobeyed him. It shuddered slightly.

"Excuse me?" The voice was calm, but Sakura didn't miss the threatening tone.

Like she cared. "We're through," she repeated, almost sounding bored. "This isn't working, so we're splitting up." She paused, gauging the machine's reaction. The atmosphere had become deathly silent. Oh, well. "Good luck. Or not. I hope you rot within this cave."

She shrugged in thought. "At least it's good for something."

And with that, she turned away, leaving the machine unmoving behind her.

Then, the puppet made an utmost un-puppet like howl, a screech that seemed to come not from the man within but as if the tool had made the noise all on its own, a noise fit for a true monster. The sound waves shook the trees around them.

"I'd kill you, but you're dead already," it spat in reply, the man in the machine, sneering. Then, hulking greatly, it stalked off into the woods. Sakura laughed at its hunched figure before turning away. Without another spare glance, Sakura spun around and marched into the other direction as far away from that _thing_ as possible.

----

Yes, all this place really wanted to do was make him as miserable as hell. A stupid decision, a stupid adversary, an even stupider little girl… Sasori almost growled aloud in frustration. That little girl was the worst of it. He really loathed kids like that.

Kids that could only mourn for their friends, their loved ones. Kids that got too emotional.

And, he thought briefly, kids that were too kind. She had not hesitated to help him even though he had nothing really to offer. Helped him because it was _the right thing_.

Some ninja she was. It was almost laughable and a real shame he couldn't have used her, let his temper control him instead of smarts.

In a most un-Sasori-like manor, he snapped the trees with his tail, suddenly finding movement much easier, more than likely due to his rage. He needed an outlet. That pink-haired brat should've been it, but frankly, it wasn't worth the effort.

The trees shattered like sticks.

And then suddenly, Sasori found himself face-to-face with another bone creature, looking even ghastlier in the fake sunlight. If Hiruko had a more responsive mouth, it would've been drawn wide open. The timing could not have been worse. _Everything_ about this place really pissed him off!

Adjusting a joint within Hiruko, his puppet made another roar.

----

As Sakura stalked through the woods, she ignored the very pestering and very persistent voice in the back of her head, thinking instead of Sasuke-kun, thinking of Naruto. The forest was so quiet, and there was a lot of time to reflect on what she missed… what she'd never see again…

Then, she heard it, loud and clear, echoing as if off walls. Sakura jumped as she heard the crashes, crashes that vaguely resembled the falling of trees. Her eyes widened.

_Sasori_.

Okay, so it was her stupid instinct, wanting to save someone she had previously never wanted to _think_ of again. She had been unbelievably mad at him about fifteen minutes or maybe it was an hour ago (not that time really mattered in this place at all), but she felt suddenly guilty as possibilities of a shattered puppet filled her head. He _did_ need her. And without the length of his puppet's enormous tail, maybe she'd have a tough time fighting those damned bird creatures herself. Not that she was really sure it was a bird creature. But she knew he could use her assistance…

She closed her eyes, thinking back to her earlier reflections. What would _Naruto_ do in this situation? What would be the right thing to do?

----

Hiruko couldn't fight anymore, that much was certain. It could barely walk, so much for rage. The bird thing gnawed at his cloak and Sasori shook his head disgusted. Why of all the things did he have to be killed by _this_? Damn, damn! He had never been more flustered, and he was known for being calm! But this enemy… these pathetic enemies were outdoing him again and again. This was… this was…

Goddamn that Pein asked him to go here.

Goddamn that he agreed.

Goddamn that Deidara couldn't convince him out of the mission.

Goddamn that he wouldn't _let_ Deidara convince him out of the mission.

And goddamn letting that stupid brat get the best of him, goddamn her for inadvertently condemning him to death. Sasori wasn't one to believe in ghosts, but if they existed, he would haunt her till her grave…

"Need some help?"

His head turned towards the pink-haired girl. Part of him was truly upset that he was being rescued by his new least favorite person, another part truly surprised that she came at all. And yet, the strongest part of all had known that she would come along... and he felt almost grateful for it. Almost.

He knew about second chances. And he knew he wouldn't make the same mistake twice and piss her off. Yes, he really did require her assistance because despite her irritating attitude and her constant whining, she had strength that could crush diamonds and a heart stronger than gold. Qualities that he lacked. Qualities that in this miserable hovel, he really, really needed.

"About time," he rumbled as he extended his tail toward her feet. "I can't move Hiruko very well, so hurry up. I hate being kept waiting."

He saw the girl smile, and he wished he didn't sound so _thankful_ at her appearance. He sincerely hoped he didn't sound relieved – they hadn't even been separated that _long_ or anything.

But the words she spoke next had nothing to do with any of that; just an exhilaration, a preparation to her upcoming attack.

"Well, that's one thing we have in common."

With that comment, she lunged at the bones.

----

They were walking again together. Sasori realized dully that he had to soothe her temper, keep her on his side, and, he noted, the best way to do so was probably to converse with her and earn her trust. He did not want to feel annoyingly helpless ever again.

And besides, while he didn't mind wandering without speaking, it wasn't like they were doing anything truly important. So, he could try to be… oh what was it she called him? _Not_ _antisocial_. He could try to socialize.

Oh. He could _try_.

"I can't believe we're stuck in a forest, fighting those monsters," she complained. "Those bone, those vice…" She lost her voice while trying to think of a name. "Vice… de… plats… ploys… wait, what word am I looking for?"

"Vice de plats?" Sasori asked, clearly amused. Just because he couldn't really anger the girl into running off didn't mean that he had to abandon his sarcasm or skepticism. "Yes, what word _are_ you looking for? Your rambling is incessant. Most un-ninja-like."

She acknowledged him coldly, her green eyes turned to ice. "_I'm_ a ninja," she assured him. "Don't insult me."

Within Hiruko, he resisted rolling his eyes. But it was so easy and very, very hard to turn down. She practically asked for it. But a subject change would probably be more appropriate for the both of them.

"Well, what are you then?" he asked trying to instill interest in his voice. "A genin? Chuunin?" He paused. Actually, start with the basics. "How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen," she said shortly. "And I'm a chuunin." She glared at him. "Well, what are you?"

"I'm a lot older than you are," he said easily, avoiding her questions. He had a feeling she'd approve much less of him when she learned of his real occupation, and she couldn't stand him already. While he knew that many ninja would jump at the chance to be in the good graces of the Akatsuki, he also knew that a little girl with her spunk and her spark would jump even higher to try and kick them in the gut. Not like she ever could, but still. The less she truly knew about him, the better for them both. No need to complicate things unnecessarily.

"An old man," she snorted. "Figures."

Sasori chuckled at this remark, and she looked surprised. It seemed she was expecting a snappy insult. But really? An old, old man? His appearance might be a little shocking. Not that he'd let her see it.

"Well," he said, a smile on his lips, "I suppose you could make any assumptions that you want."

"I can't let my guard down around you," she noted dryly. "What's up with talking to me anyway? I was under the impression that you couldn't care less."

Sasori shook Hiruko's head. It barely creaked much to Sasori's disappointment, but the message seemed to get across anyway. "I don't. But you're much more useful than I first assumed, and if pleasantries can keep a good mental state, then that's all I need."

"If you want to make me happy, then tell me how to get out of here."

_Infuriating_.

"I could send you to the next world, if you like," he offered generously, not that he could really back it up.

She glowered at him again.

"Fine. If you want to make me happy, then tell me what you are."

He had thought over this, very, very briefly, realizing that, yes, he did need to tell her _something_ substantial about himself; otherwise, she'd suspect him anyway.

"An artist." So much for substantial.

"You aren't even making me content," she said wryly. Shaking her head, she surveyed the forest, looking anywhere but at him. "I give up."

"An artist is a profession," he insisted.

Sakura ignored him, studying the ground and seemingly lost in thought. He wandered comfortably in the silence (he didn't need her interrogations), and she seemed more at ease as well, absorbed within her own thoughts, and not engaging with him. And yet, when she spoke again, her thoughts were surprisingly analytical, and Sasori regretted not thinking more thoroughly himself.

"You can't move your puppet as well, right?" she asked, a frown in the crease of her eyebrow. "Does that mean that you can't move as well either?"

"No," he said, not bothering to try and shake Hiruko's head. Too much effort at this point for sure. "I can move fine. But none of my weapons even work in this place, and Hiruko gets worse every passing minute." He sighed, though he doubted whether the girl heard it. "I can't use my puppets. It's as if they're stuck within their scrolls."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Stuck…" she said quietly. "I wonder if those bird things keep attacking you because of Hiruko."

"What?" His eyes were wide. Oh shit. Yes, he knew that this was coming, but that didn't mean it made him any happier.

"They don't think of you as a threat," she said, saying the words that Sasori least wanted to hear. "So they'll fight you anyway." She looked at him directly. "You know what?" she said. "You should get rid of that thing. You can move okay, but Hiruko can't. You're too easy a target."

"I _am_ not letting go of the only weapon of mine that works." No way. He doubted he could use _any_ of his powers in his normal state. Without Hiruko, he would be utterly helpless.

"But your weapon might be the only reason we're getting attacked," the girl argued, her temper flaring. "If you'll notice, you've only been attacked while you're alone!"

"Don't say that!" he hissed at her. "You've jinxed us!"

"How the hell have I jinxed anyone?" she argued, and Sasori just shook his head again. _Every time_, completely on cue, a monster would come out and attack them! They always did at the very worst moments if that was one good thing he learned about this goddamned place!

She rolled her eyes at the silence that followed and at the way Sasori braced himself. He hated being so damn tense, but this cave was the worst thing that ever happened to him. She sighed.

"Look," she said sarcastically, as she pat the ground, the dirt rising up slightly, "it's just earth." She twirled her hand in the sky. "Watch," she said, as the air swished through her fingers, "it's just sky." She went over to a tall white tree, and stroked it gently. "See?" she asked. "It's just a tree."

Sasori felt himself calm down. Why did he keep getting so tense in the first place only to have this child tell him off? _He_ should've been the one in her position.

And then, the ground began shaking, Sasori and Sakura looking around wildly for the source. They shared the same shock as they realized what is was.

"Not just a tree," Sasori said, his voice completely flat now. Okay, so he had been right anyway, but he was too upset to feel victorious. The trees were snaking out of the ground, curving, and pointing, completely sharp. "They're _bones_."

Sakura nodded, beyond denial completely.

"Okay," she admitted, "now I'm sorry."

"It's a little too late!"

"I-"

Something hard and strong slammed onto the back of her head as the bones continued to rise around them, and the girl fell into Hiruko's cloak unconscious. And even worse, splintered wood suddenly filled the air, snapping and cracking with the sound of breaking bone against metal. Hiruko's tail, no… Hiruko's whole body torn apart by the bones…

He left the remains behind quickly, grabbing the girl away from the bones, and running from the scene. The bones continued to rip at one of his favorite possessions, one of his prized works of art. Heaving the girl over his back, he felt only regret and the briefest hint of fear as he raced through the land, his face calm, his head calm – he could do this, he did this well. But none of this changed the undeniable and unfortunate truth.

Hiruko had been smashed, and he was exposed.

----

**AN**: The word that Sakura was looking for was "plot devices." This chapter sucked. Sorry. XD.

If you thought they were OOC, they do get more on track next chapter. But this chapter, they were adjusting to shock, so naturally they'd be a bit hotheaded. That's my excuse anyway, but if you'd prefer to dismiss this chapter as pure garbage, then I can't blame you as I've accepted it myself. X0.

(Please stick around anyway. XD. Next chapter, it _does_ get better. I think.)


	5. Angels and Demons

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! It's really cool to check the email and say, oh! There's a fanfic review! You guys made my day over and over again.

----

**5: Angels and Demons**

----

Uzumaki Naruto, his short blonde hair still messy from the wind, knew exactly what to expect when he arrived at Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf. To be honest, he figured he'd march right on, jump over the rooftops, and announce, in the grandest, most Naruto-way possible, that he had, finally, returned. Jiraiya-sensei could catch up eventually, and Naruto in turn, would catch up with Sakura-chan and Shikamaru and everyone else he had sorely missed.

What he didn't expect was a welcome party. Especially one that consisted of Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei, each wearing the grimmest of expressions. Naruto frowned.

"Some greeting," he pouted, running right up next to them, disappointment etched across his face. It would be one thing if it were the whole village. But two people…

"So, you've returned…" Tsunade surveyed him quickly. "Well, you've grown taller. And strangely enough, you look more like your pervert sensei."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed, squinting his eyes in confusion and agitation. "I come here only to be insulted by the two of you? That's it! I'm going back and making a run for my grand entrance!"

Kakashi stepped forward, sighing.

"My apologies, Naruto," he said. "But you're wrong; this isn't a greeting. Because greetings are more casual and we have some serious news."

Naruto pondered over his sensei's message, frowning as he thought of what they would wait out here for. Something, no… _someone_ he cared about was missing… but…

"Sakura-chan?" His blue eyes were wide open.

Kakashi-sensei nodded gravely.

"And Gaara-kun."

What, Gaara? Wait, a second, what the hell was going on? Gaara was far away, in Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand. Gaara wasn't _here_, and plus, Gaara was _powerful_. Why the hell was he in trouble?

"Judging by your confused expression," Tsunade said, eyeing him warily, "you have no idea that the Akatsuki are after the demon within Gaara. We've heard of their plots to attack Sunagakure. As allies, tight allies at this point with Gaara as Kazekage, it is the duty of our village to send aid."

She sighed as Naruto processed this information. Yes, he knew about Akatsuki, that the nine evil members were after the powerful demons within both him and his friend. But Gaara was Kazekage? Ugh… he was happy… but so jealous…

"We decided you were the best person for the job," she continued, "especially as our numbers are still cut short. Naruto, I have to trust you to help Gaara. I think you both can take on this upcoming attack. Demons rarely ever work together, so your efforts combined will catch them off guard."

Yes. He _had_ to help Gaara, who shared his pain, who knew his pain, but who never knew his joy. Gaara, who he had felt so close to though they had exchanged few blows and even fewer words. Yes, he certainly needed to save him…

"But what about Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked finally after a long silence. "Don't tell me I have to choose between the two!"

"I'll go looking for Sakura," his sensei replied. The silver-haired man looked at him with his one normal eye. "Chances are, it was just a misadventure. But if she was captured by the Akatsuki, as bait for you which is the only real explanation, then saving her would mean walking straight into their trap." He shook his head grimly.

Naruto felt his heart break. No, this was wrong.

"But Sakura-chan…" he said glumly, letting his voice trail off.

"Will be fine, I promise," his sensei said, and Naruto could tell he was smiling though he couldn't tell if it was fake. "I'll bring her back. But you should go. Your journey is much longer than mine."

Naruto nodded suddenly, mind set. He could change nothing…

"Come back safely," Tsunade said, catching his eye, "and you can have the grand entrance you've been waiting for."

----

Sakura felt her eyes flicker open slightly, then close quickly. It was so incredibly bright, burning light from the fake sun. Only a silhouette prevented her from going immediately blind, and she opened her eyes again, this time, to examine the mysterious object. As her eyes adjusted, she almost gasped.

She was dead. That was it. For the being in front of her could be no less than an angel, a sleepy angel with red hair and perfect features, beautiful and completely serene. It wore a black cloak, plain and travel-worn, but she could only stare into his hypnotizing grey eyes.

"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, melodic, but not at all feminine like she thought it might be. Well, that was a relief. Definitely not a girl. She nodded slightly, still looking at him. The angel almost smiled, though strangely, it resembled a smirk.

"Well are you going to blink?" he asked.

In the back of her mind, Sakura frowned. What kind of question was that, and didn't angels know everything? But she answered obediently anyway.

"If I blink," she replied, dazed, "you'll disappear."

Pulling back, the angel took on a most un-angelic expression, and Sakura, suddenly finding a strength she didn't know she had, lunged at him and snatched his cloak.

"No!" she cried, pulling herself towards him. "Don't go!"

The figure looked momentarily surprised, then immediately disgusted. "I'm not going anywhere, you fool," he snapped, trying to pry off her fingers which were now glued to his clothes. "Jeez. I had been under the impression that you were intelligent. I suppose that assumption makes _me_ the idiot."

Sakura frowned, now loosening her grip. For an angel, this guy certainly had an interesting way with words. Actually, she realized, he spoke less like an angel and more like… more like someone else she knew. Definitely not Naruto, and, she decided, not as cool and aloof as Sasuke-kun. Not like this guy looked like either of them. Well… he… he talked like…

Oh crap. So the splintered wood had scratched her arm-

"You're not an angel!" Sakura moaned, and she flopped back onto the ground. "Crap! I can't believe it! You're… you're…" Oh shit. And it was coming-

"You thought I was an angel?" Sasori sounded like he was choking back laughter.

Sakura winced. Spirits, angels… before she knew it, she'd be thinking he was some kind of Buddha. She had been so embarrassed, too embarrassed to realize to her blunder. Now, he even knew what she was thinking! And what she was thinking was stupid. Sasori, an angel? She'd never thought it was possible, not even if he _was_ good-looking. And she had thought he was old! And yet… he looked no older than eighteen, maybe twenty…

"Hell, no! You look more like a scorpion!" she snapped, and then moaned again, burying her head into the dirt. That had to be the most immature, the stupidest, that didn't even come out right… God! Yes, God. Yeah, why did he have to make angels in the first place?

"A scorpion?" Sasori asked mockingly, oblivious to her other thoughts. "Well, what do you think I am, then? Does my name suddenly translate into spider? Or perhaps, I was mistaken about my own name-"

"Oh shut up," Sakura mumbled, her voice muffled by the ground. Groaning, she turned over again to spit the dirt out.

"Well what are you going to do now that you've discovered I'm not meant to send you heavenly guidance?" Sasori asked, sounding both unnaturally impatient and sadistically amused. "Are you just going to lay here forever?"

"In humiliation?" Sakura asked. She covered her face with the back of her arm. "Actually, that sounds like a wonderful idea. And then, I will rot away here, and a real angel will come." She sighed. "Damn it. Well at least I'm sure that _my_ angel will be in the form of _Sasuke-kun_."

"Your boyfriend?" He sounded incredulous.

"No." She uncovered her face. "But he will be." _Or would've been. If I wasn't stuck in this horrible place forever_.

Sasori almost rolled his eyes. Sakura almost laughed in turn at his resistance.

"Oh get up," he told her flatly. "Now I'm really going to need your help, especially without Hiruko." She didn't budge. With a sigh, Sasori grabbed her arm and pulled her up roughly. Or tried to. He pulled her up about halfway, but she fell down again, utterly depressed, her eyes downcast. Oh, he would _not_ degrade her any further by dragging her around like a doll. Recognizing his defeat, he dropped her hand in aggravation. Sakura thought, with some pride, that he had given up. She didn't realize he had taken another route.

"So heavy and you call yourself a girl."

Immediately, she was on her feet and in his face.

"Excuse me!?" she shouted, too pissed to care she took the bait. "_Fat_? I was on a diet for weeks, and I'm accused of being _fat_? Here I am, in the middle of goddamn nowhere, and suddenly there's this guy who thinks it's okay to call me stupid and ugly? I'm sorry, but I draw the line at _fat_!" She poked a finger on his chest. "You… didn't… dare!" she snarled, emphasizing each word with another poke.

He said nothing. She continued glaring at him and for the very first time, got a clear view of his face. She spoke the first words that came to mind. "Besides," she snorted at his silence, "you look much uglier now that I can see your features."

Okay, so she was being immature. But at the same time, there was some truth in that statement. His eyes were lifeless, his expression blank. There was no warmth. Only emptiness. Kind of like Hiruko.

Some angel. Now, she felt really, _really_ stupid. She almost wished he had been genuinely beautiful.

"I can hear you," Sasori said flatly, grabbing her hand off his chest and forcing it to her side while ignoring her actual words completely, "quite clearly, even without your stupid poses and shouts. I can probably hear you even better than you can."

Sakura didn't even try to delve into the implications of that statement. Oh, she had never been more disgraced.

"I can't believe it," she groaned. "I thought you looked like your machine…" She couldn't even look at his feet. "I've never been more ashamed in my life."

"Yes, I agree it's quite shameful," Sasori snorted, "but we have to get moving. We have to get moving _now_."

Sakura was tempted to drop to the ground again, but she decided to hear him out.

"Why?"

Sasori really did roll his eyes this time, an odd move for eyes so weary-seeming. But it didn't change the effect. He looked as sarcastic as anyone, and Sakura made a mental note to hit him at the next excuse she had.

"Because," he explained, utterly vexed, "we were attacked _trees_ powerful enough to destroy Hiruko. It would probably be best to avoid them while getting out of this miserable place." He waved to his own body. "Though under the unfortunate and highly likely circumstance that we do, I _need_ your assistance, shockingly and regrettably enough." Though he was difficult to read, he was obviously no more pleased with the situation than she was. Shocking, indeed. He sighed. "You have the brute strength that, without my weapons, I lack."

"_And_ I'm a medic," Sakura countered, trying to save face while feeling dumber by the second. Ugh, everything he said had been so obvious. "That's pretty handy, too, right?"

"Not for me." He turned away from her and began walking, gesturing with his arm for her to follow. Sakura stuck out her tongue at him. Didn't need a medic? What, did he think he was some sort of god? She grunted. Oh, well. She was the idiot who thought he was an angel in the first place, but still…

She watched his walking form in irritation. That didn't make him her boss, and she stomped up towards him.

"I'm not going to be led around like a dog on a leash," she told him, as she shoved him out of way and put herself in the lead. His quiet laughter echoed throughout the trees. Evil bastard.

"Think of it more as a puppet with strings."

----

Sakura watched Sasori rather grumpily. Tired as she was, she had let him take the lead. He wanted to be boss? Fine. And anyway, now she had an excuse to pick on him.

"Hey, great puppet-master," she said cheerfully, though it was evident she was not cheerful at all, "have you found a way out yet?"

Sasori didn't reply.

"Because you know," she said simply, all her annoyance and dissatisfaction finally finding an outlet, "that's why you thought you should lead, right? Because you're such a _genius_. Well, you're certainly helping us out so incredibly much! I'll probably die of frustration before starvation at this point."

Finally, he turned around. His face was blank. His words weren't.

"Then just drop dead," he snapped at her. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Sakura actually couldn't remember the last time she had been so immature; she really _was_ acting like a child. But at the same time, she was… tired. And she was hungry. And exceptionally cranky that she had embarrassed herself so grandly earlier.

Worst mission _ever_.

Well, at least she was warm, even in her own pathetically skimpy outfit. Well, it wasn't _that_ skimpy like Ino's or Tsunade-sama's, not that she would ever tell that to Tsunade'sama's face. But a lot more of her skin was exposed than her companion's – he instead wore a dark, faded cloak and long brown pants. Kind of badass looking. But angelic? No way. And it wasn't that impressive or anything. Sakura knew she looked pretty badass herself.

"How come _you_ haven't dropped dead yet?" she asked him. "Aren't you sweating?"

"No. Not really."

Oh, well, okay. So not only was he an asshole, but he was _invincible_. Just like the whole didn't-need-a-medic-nin thing.

Well, whatever. She could deal with that.

"So you don't need any healing, you don't sweat, and yet you can't even fight a prehistoric bird with a bad dental job. Well, that's pretty awesome. I'll have you know that I'm astounded!"

She was being _such_ a bitch, she knew. Usually, she acted nicer. Much nicer. But she hadn't really slept in a while, had she? And she definitely hadn't eaten… not since before reading to those kids…

"Will you shut up?" he glared at her fiercely. "You've really gotten on my nerves. I preferred those fifteen minutes when you were out."

So she had been out for about fifteen minutes? No wonder she was still so tired…

"What?" she asked him. "Never had to deal with a teenage girl before?"

"Not one that I didn't –"

He cut himself off abruptly, twitching his head back to their nonexistent destination. Sakura's eyes widened. It sounded like… not one that he didn't _get to kill_. His tone had become so dangerous, and suddenly, she had felt, despite his dependence on _her_, that there was a vast difference in strength between the two of them. She stopped walking. He halted with her, obviously aggravated.

"What is it _now_?" he demanded impatiently, and he turned his whole body around so that they stood face-to-face, albeit a great many feet apart. She had to ask.

"How strong _are_ you?"

He looked uncomfortable with the topic as if half of him wanted to childishly brag about his abilities, while a more mature half recognized that it was probably best to keep some things hidden. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his face was utterly blank. Slowly, his eyes narrowed. Apparently, he had made up his mind. He nodded curtly to her, the slightest of his trademark smirk on his face.

"I'm fairly skilled."

The way he said it seemed to echo through the trees, echo through her heart, and it sent a nasty chill down her spine. She had felt that before with powerful ninja, felt it with ones that were much stronger than her, true killers. His statement was simple – it revealed nothing – but he scared the hell out of her on _purpose_, because he could. That chill came from a small release of chakra, a small glint of bloodthirst – what a bastard, frightening her like that.

So he probably was very, very strong; in all likelihood, he was much stronger than her. She had seen it in his eyes; usually, he didn't have to lie or be modest about his powers because it didn't matter whether his opponent knew or didn't. And that wasn't all. He had fought kids like her before – no. He had _murdered_ kids like her before. Deadly. He was deadly.

They continued walking, and she trailed even further behind. A puppet with strings? She could believe it… she was no more than a tool… just one, in this case, not easily dispensable…

...A thing...

What the hell? She was past that! She wasn't going to be scared anymore! She wouldn't walk behind anymore! She had promised that a thousand times! Immediately, she clenched her fists.

"Hey!"

He didn't even stop this time.

_What would _Naruto _do_?

"I'm not scared of you!" she shouted. "You aren't going to frighten me, even if you are much stronger! Maybe, we'll be stuck in this cave together, but I will _not_ be a puppet with strings!"

He still ignored her, and she raced to his side, the dirt kicking at her heels. He didn't even look her way; he still kept facing forward. She grabbed his shoulder though she knew he wouldn't turn.

"We're equals now," she told him, somewhat proud of her Naruto impersonation. It was a damn good impersonation. "I won't make fun of your pathetic sense of direction, but you're not going to aimlessly lead us around."

"So you'll share the blame with me?" he asked her, obviously pissed off that his plan to shut her up backfired.

She smiled slightly – it was grim.

"Well, that is, if you can keep up."

----

**AN**: Ha, ha. Did you know that the middle section was the first one written for this story? Oh, I know – I'm so unorganized.

And I'm not saying Sakura's a Christian. If this chapter offended anyone religiously, then I am very, very sorry. That was not the intent at all.

…And the title of this chapter… I hate to say it, but I love it… XD.


	6. Guidelines

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! It's been a week and a half since I last updated (I haven't been very active...). That's, with any luck, about the longest break there'll be between chapters. Sorry if you thought I usually updated super-fast though. Though the next few chapters have been written. XD.

----

**6: Guidelines**

----

They had to have been walking for an eternity, Sakura thought, but at least it had been uneventful. They had been careful to avoid the _trees_, careful not to cause too much of a fuss, and it seemed to have paid off. There was peace. Sort of.

"I'm hungry."

Sakura immediately regretted saying those words, not because she cared if it bothered Sasori but because now, he knew she was gradually becoming weaker. She knew that they weren't going to split up again, but she didn't want him to regard her as weak. In so many ways, he was an enemy. He was cold, calloused, and nothing about him seemed vaguely human, let alone angelic. Actually, the way he had been earlier was more like a demon.

Of course this was most likely because Sasori was the most _ninja_-like ninja she had ever really spoken to. Sure, there had been that incidence in the Mist, and _those_ guys had been creepy, but she hadn't exactly been forced to converse with them. Tsunade-sama had many qualities of a ninja, naturally, but at the same time, she was also a dependable leader, and didn't usually scare the shit out of her. This guy was a loner, or at least, he seemed to know how to operate alone or in very small groups. Sure, fairly helpless and dependent, he acted like an asshole. But some of his qualities could manifest themselves into a pretty scary ninja.

It was funny, she thought, how deceiving looks could be. Not just that pretty terrifying-looking puppet hiding a beautiful person beneath it, but that Sasori acted less like a beautiful person and more like that metal monster. Sasori would've been what she'd have dismissed as a pretty boy – constantly smiling, incredibly polite, and undeniably deadly had she seen just one look at his face. Instead, he was a jerk – arrogant, at times childish, and his abilities, almost utterly unknown.

She knew that he was far more skilled than she was; but she wondered still how much further she had to go. Was he stronger than Naruto? Was he stronger than he even Sasuke-kun? She couldn't tell, but, she swore, she _would_ catch up. She'd catch up to them all.

"Then get some food."

He was straightforward, of course, and yet vague as always in his comments. They were always short, they always answered the question or offered a response, but they always opened a door to an unwarranted conversation. He was _mean._ And he knew it.

"Well, where do I get it?"

He looked around the area, the never ending rows of bones and dirt. He looked back at her.

"You aren't carrying any?"

Well, would she have asked that otherwise?

"No."

He snorted at her before saying, "Then I've no idea. Isn't it a ninja's job to be equipped?" She glared at him, always with the reminder that he really was a ninja and in so many ways, she really wasn't. Not that it mattered. She was okay with being a different sort of ninja, being more like Naruto…

_Naruto…_

Immediately, she shook her head out of those thoughts. She missed her friends dearly, but thinking about them wouldn't lead her any closer to them.

"Well, what about you?" she asked. "Don't you get hungry?"

"Like I said," he replied, eyes gleaming slightly, "ninjas are to be _equipped_."

"Then you have some food!"

He hesitated, something odd passing over his features, but his trademark smirk returned quickly.

"None that I can share with you."

What was _with_ this guy? He said he needed her help, but then he wouldn't even share his food! There was no point in arguing him, no point in even _trying_ to understand him. He was full of it, all these ridiculous contradictions, offering no explanations… Why was she stuck with him?

No. She had to stop thinking like that, had to try and make the best of her situation. Digging her hand into her pocket, she found the leaves of some random herbs, things she had thought might be useful for her village. They would taste bitter and disgusting, but at least they would offer more substance than the dirt and the air.

Actually, she realized they tasted better than she thought they would. She must have been hungrier than she realized – oops! No, that one was still bitter.

"Blah," she said, sticking her tongue out. "That's so gross."

But it was food, and Sakura felt some energy return to her. Bending over, she dug into the ground, seeing whether or not it had nutrients. More than likely, with bone chips and whatnot, it had _something_, but with her strengths, she couldn't process it… She turned to Sasori who was eyeing her with a new emotion in his eyes. What was it? _Respect_? As if he could ever feel something like that…

"Resourceful," he said simply, confirming her thoughts and sealing her surprise. He looked around. "It's getting darker."

Sakura frowned, too. Yes, suddenly, it _was_ getting darker, and the brightness was fading from the sky…

"But it's still easy to see you," she said slowly. "You're glowing." It was as if the light still existed on his skin and on the trees. She looked down at her own hand. Yes, it had the same effect. Under most circumstances, she'd be shocked, but no effects in this place could surprise her anymore. This place was pathetic – full of shining people and oversized bones. She sighed. "_So_ wrong."

"Well," Sasori said, "let's figure something out. It wouldn't be good if you starved."

----

Kakashi frowned.

"You want to come with me?"

Standing beside him, tall and happy as ever, stood Maito Gai, a huge grin spread across his face, his teeth shining from the setting sun.

"Yosh!" he replied. "I would love to go sightseeing! You're seeing the highest mountain, right? It's quite incredible."

Well now, this was news. Gai had seen this place before? Kakashi thought that Gai wouldn't be interested in the wilderness, a wilderness with no people –

"An amazing scene that rivals my own handsome visage," Gai sighed. "Oh, yes, Kakashi, you must allow me to come with you!"

"I can't wait an extra day or two," Kakashi reminded him. "We have to leave _now_."

Gai sighed. Evidentially, he was hoping Kakashi wouldn't take this route. With a small shrug, he stepped over to his friend and rival and threw a manly arm over his shoulder. Kakashi visually slumped.

"Kakashi, Kakashi," Gai muttered. "I have a prediction, a brilliant prediction. Your student got stuck in the _cave_."

Kakashi frowned again, not that anyone could see it.

"But, Gai-kun," he said somewhat confused, "how could Sakura have gotten stuck in a _cave_? She's a chuunin, and an experienced ninja. I'd trust her to many tasks myself, spelunking included."

"Trust me, Kakashi," Gai said. "I have something important to tell you about that cave! It's no mere _cave_, I can assure you." Gai mistook Kakashi's apathy for curiosity. "Oh!" he said. "But I won't tell you what it is unless you wait!"

Kakashi sighed. Hokage-sama had recommended Gai's assistance, but his student… He wondered if she really did get lost in a _cave_. If that were the case, could he actually afford to leave her there another day?

But maybe Gai had some sense this time; he seemed abnormally sure. Maybe he'd give Gai one chance.

----

It was odd, but Sasori found his utter loathing for the brat before him waning with every step.

It wasn't exactly like he _liked_ her (she still really ticked him off), but he had accepted the truth: they were stranded together, he needed her, and it would probably be best not to spend an eternity hating his only company. Not that he really liked company in general, but when it was a necessity, it might as well be good company, right?

Right.

They couldn't find any food, despite every ruse that they had tried. The kid was starving and uncomfortable, not that Sasori could blame her. And now, the atmosphere was eerie with all the darkness, and the only light seemed to be _them_. Sasori had an idea about getting food, but he'd have to wait and see.

The pink-haired girl looked ahead grimly, turning her eyes to Sasori, a flat expression in them, an expression that Sasori recognized all too well of defeat. Though usually, it was a pleading expression at him, one of mercy or one of shame.

There was nothing else in this girl's eyes, except for maybe a little hunger.

And in so many ways, though he didn't like to acknowledge it, he admired her. He had tried to scare her earlier, tried to throw that whole ninja-trick against her, given her a brief glimpse of his bloodlust – and yet, she had simply batted it away. And, at the same time, she had evaluated his own abilities – he had seen it in her eyes. In trying to keep her quiet, he had revealed more about himself than had they actually been talking. At first, it really, really pissed him off, but now, he recognized that he had no one to blame but himself. He had underestimated her yet again. It was amazing actually, that none of his tricks seemed to work with this girl. He could respect her for that at least.

"It looks like we'll be stuck here forever."

It wasn't an exaggeration – finally, it had dawned on them both. Stuck forever. Together.

He shrugged.

"Well, what do you want to do, then?" he asked, though he wasn't really expecting an answer.

He got one anyway. At least she could be occasionally unpredictable.

"I don't want to die here. I'm not going to starve here either."

Now something did flash across her face, a determination that suited her features well. Sasori was accustomed to it, accustomed to a look he had only seen before to be broken before. But usually _he_ was the one doing the breaking, not a place. Although it differed from her intellectual ability and showed her weaknesses at being a ninja, Sasori actually found himself enjoying her expressions. It was funny how her eyes could go from one extreme to the next, funny the way the emotion streaked through it brilliantly. It was actually a wonderful thing, but it was too short –permanence, now _that_ would be fascinating.

Yes, he realized, he really did hang around too many boring, emotionless _ninja_. It was almost interesting to see such a change.

"Well, you'd have to live forever, then," he told her simply. "Good luck with that."

"Good luck to us both," she said. "You're coming with me."

"I am?" he asked, snorting slightly now.

"We're not splitting up again."

Ha! Here she was again, bossing him around, determined to take the lead, but in truth, sticking together was what Sasori wanted. Alone, stripped of any weapons, any defenses, he'd go insane, screaming into the wilderness, a starving artist indeed. She could act as high and mighty as she wished, until he found a way to fight at least.

Still, it was amusing that she put on so much bravado, that she was so determined to ignore his demonstration earlier. What a funny kid.

"Well," he asked her, smirking inwardly at her demanding stature, "how do you plan to become immortal?"

"I plan to find the cave's purpose, why people go here in the first place," she told him dully. "I want to go to its center and discover the secret to life." Sighing, she continued, "I came to the mountain to find a medicine for my home. But I fell into this stupid cave inadvertently, and all I've wanted to do is get out. Maybe if I try to find the middle instead, I'll get out anyway." She looked around thoughtfully.

"The immortal Cherry Blossom," she hummed. "Has a nice ring, right?"

Delirious.

"No, not particularly."

"Well, what would you prefer?"

"The dead bouquet."

She made a hissing noise, a noise that she obviously wasn't used to making, her face contorting, her eyes narrowing into slits. It was pure venom that look, a look that, he realized with another smirk, seemed to have been created just for him. Very unsteadily, she controlled those features, and gradually, her face reverted to normal. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"That's another thing," she told him. "We need to get along somehow. If I'm going to be stuck with you forever, then it looks like we're going to have to make an agreement; otherwise, we're not going to get along, and I'm going to have to save your ass again and again."

Well, ouch. She really couldn't stand him, now, could she? Not like he could hold it against her; at the beginning, the feeling was definitely entirely mutual. Still, it was amusing that she disliked him in this form as much as she disliked him in Hiruko.

"So we'll have to make some guidelines?" he asked, actually toying with the idea. What worked, worked, right?

"Yes," she said completely serious, "so that we can get along." She sighed. "This will be difficult. You're as critical and arrogant as I thought you were."

"And you're brattier and stupider than I thought you were."

Again with that bitter, bitter look! Ha, the hate just _gleamed_ off of it, like some kind of beacon. It was the perfect expression for a puppet, the most memorable face he could think of for one resembling eternal, uncontrolled loathing…

And yet, she, once again, had a point. He kept dismissing her ideas, enthusiasm, and character as naive and foolish, but in truth, he had come to recognize inwardly at least, her strengths. Well, she was physically strong of course with excellent speed, accuracy, and power. And mentally, she had surprised even him with some interesting and _resourceful_ ideas; so far, it seemed, to Sasori's bitter disappointment, that she really _was_ the intelligent one on the journey, tarnished only by her teenage temper tantrums. Not to mention, she was more than likely a skilled medical ninja. She had it all.

Well, he could beat her at her own game. Getting along would be the intelligent, mature thing to do, and he was the intelligent, mature ninja.

"Fine," he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. Angels and spirits aside, you have good ideas. You're not a _complete_ idiot. I've recognized that."

As he predicted, surprise flew over her face, but there was very little suspicion. In a way, he realized, the comment had been fairly sincere, so suspicion would have been unwarranted. But at the same time, he thought she would more astute. He expected a little better.

"What are you playing at?"

Or not.

"Not _at_," he said simply. "_By_. By our new rules. Rules that say we have to get along. I'm going to get along with you."

She stared at him disbelievingly. "Excuse me?" she asked. "You're taking me seriously?"

Sasori's eyes rolled. "It isn't exactly a game at this point," he told her. "It's about survival. And our survival depends on one another. You and me, so it seems."

"Well, then," she challenged, "what do these rules mean to you? What are you going to let me do?"

He smiled back at her angelically. He could be charming if he wanted to. Not like he ever wanted to.

"Whatever you would like to do."

She looked into the dark, dark sky once again, as if somewhere in that unimaginable darkness, there lay the answers to all her problems, as if, behind those black clouds, there lay the smiles of her friends. That, somehow, that darkness took her away from a thing like him, that the darkness was _preferable_ to a thing like him. Her eyes lost focus and began shutting against her will.

"You're exhausted," Sasori told her, and her eyes widened in surprise, immediately more awake. She seemed keen on hiding her weak points – a smart decision, but a futile one. It didn't really matter anyway.

"No, I… I…" She sighed overcome by her own fatigue. "Yes. You're right. I'm really tired, and it's dark. I really do want my sleep. Can we sleep?" Without waiting for an answer, she collapsed into a sitting position on the ground, looking straight ahead into nothingness. He sat a few feet apart from her, facing her as if from across a campfire, their skin illuminated by this odd, incoherent world. Her eyes had blue bags beneath them, and there was no point in forcing them to move ahead. The only useful member of their group would be utterly useless.

"Why aren't you tired?" she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "You've been up… for a long time, too…"

"I'm a little different than you are."

In her state, she seemed to accept this explanation without another thought. She buried her head in her knees, and he studied her closely, thinking about the basics of what she was. And he had to admit, it wasn't bad: she was intellectual, powerful, and attractive. Sasori sighed. An eternity with the girl before him. Well, he supposed, it could've been worse.

----

**AN**: Definitely not my favorite chapter (I'm happy with the next few, though). But did anyone else think _Pirates of the Caribbean_ when they saw the chapter title? XD.


	7. Some Psychology

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! Fifty, huh? That's a lot more than I ever expected, so thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope you enjoy this story. X3

----

**7: Some Psychology**

----

It was a bitter world, Sakura realized. So she had asked to sleep only to find she could not. Only here. Yes, only here.

"You made us sit down to rest," Sasori said. "Now, why aren't you resting?"

Sakura shook her head at him, too tired to be mad or feel anything really at all. She couldn't sleep in front of him, someone she wasn't sure if she should regard as an enemy. It went against all the ninja code that had been crammed into her head and into her heart. He had acted civil to her for the last five minutes, but Sakura knew people well. They changed their minds often.

"Are you anxious?" he asked, clearly annoyed. "Because you know, the only way you'll be useful is if you've gotten some sleep. I agreed with you; that's why we sat down in the first place." He shook his head grimly at her, and his voice grew sarcastic. "If you want to talk about it, then talk. Hey, we can add this to our guidelines – talking about your problems!"

Sasori the shrink? No thanks.

"Oh, fuck that idea," she snapped. "I should've realized you'd use it to make fun of me."

He sighed.

"I'm not making fun of you entirely," he said. "I _am_ trying to get along with you. Understand you to a point, I suppose. But I can admit I don't understand a teenage girl's mind, at least not in a respect that means not discovering her weak points. Why don't you explain, so that we can perhaps reach an agreement about our very dysfunctional relationship?"

Very dysfunctional relationship… what an apt description, she marveled. So, he was giving this his best shot, almost for the hell of it. Well, he'd have to give just a little more.

She tilted her head to look at him.

"It's true I miss my friends," she replied noncommittally, "and I miss my family. There was one friend I was going to see again, one of my best friends in the world, but I botched up the mission instead." She groaned, too drained to emphasize, but too nervous to fall asleep.

"Well what about you?" she asked bitterly to end the awkward quiet. "You have to have some loved ones that you miss, right?"

"A ninja has no need for loved ones," he told her in turn. "The only thing that matters is the mission."

Oh. Well, she knew that. She had read it over and over again, but…

"Well, come on," she chided grumpily. What she wanted to understand was _him_; it shouldn't have been the other way around! "You have to feel some emotions for _someone_. What about your parents? Most kids love their parents."

Sakura expected an immediate rebuttal, something along the lines of "not everyone loves their parents, and I'm far above _that_ kind of emotion" kind of thing. She certainly saw it flash in his eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came. What he said next surprised her.

"My parents were killed," he said finally. "They were killed in the war."

What war, Sakura wanted to ask. There had been no war for almost twenty years, not in Konoha anyway. Not that Sasori was of the Leaf…

"You're from the Wind Country, aren't you?" Sakura asked, though it wasn't exactly a question. She could tell now… his scarlet hair, his mannerisms – they reminded her slightly of Temari-san and Gaara-kun, plus he was a puppet master like Kankurou-san. His skin was tan like theirs, though his hair was much redder than Gaara's.

"From Sunagakure," he confirmed.

Still, that made little sense, especially to Sakura' very, very tired mind. Sasori didn't look much older than her, and she was born after the war had ended. He _said_ he was old, but he lied often, too.

She didn't even try to ask _why_ he was in the Leaf in the first place. Definitely not a profitable conversation.

"How is that possible?" she asked, unable to keep the exasperation out her voice. Every time she thought they were beginning to understand each other, he opened the doors to a million more questions or threw out some shocking revelation. He hesitated, then shook his head.

"You're a mystery to me. You say you don't quite get me – well, my problem is that I just don't get _you_," she confessed miserably. "We've been traveling together, and I don't even know who you are." She looked unhappy. "Can you blame me?"

Again, to her surprise, he shook his head a second time.

"Sometimes things are best left a mystery," he admitted, "as in this case. But, no, you're right. I don't blame you. I know all too well at this point the feeling of not being able to understand someone that well, and being forced with them anyway." He met her gaze and frowned, his eyes set. "Still I can't answer those questions."

Well, that made a little sense, her sleepy reasoning supposed. Sasori was after all a ninja. And she knew that ninjas had things that they'd rather not talk about, rather keep secret. But at this point, she had come to regard him as not just a ninja, but a companion. A comrade. Not at all a good one or a kind one, but it was the sad, sad truth. Was wanting to add to that list so bad?

"So you're an artist?" she asked after another long silence. "Well, what do you like about art?"

She almost saw him smile. Almost.

"Art is permanent," he said simply, but the way he said it sounded to Sakura like art itself. Never before had she seen him take on a tone as dreamy as his features. "A creation with eternal beauty, something that can last forever – if you can hold that within your hands, then you have touched true _art_." He peered down at his own hands thoughtfully as if expecting it to appear in his palm; Sakura half expected it as well. His thoughts seemed to deepen, and with it, Sakura saw his eyes reveal new depths – far past the cold and cruel exterior, a window to the soul. He turned to the sky.

"I've tried to find it," he almost whispered, "but I can't hold it. Not yet. I've made far past a hundred puppets, but what should be my final one, I've never been able to complete…"

And with this very small comment, this very insignificant comment, Sakura felt her heart open slightly, just so slightly, to this Sasori of Sunagakure, this lonely artist, this artist who could perhaps one day consider himself a failure. She felt regret for him – she truly did – about his lost parents and about the strangest look that had overwhelmed his voice and words.

Then his soft expression was gone, replaced by his usual blank and callous face. But the sympathy in Sakura still remained.

"But why do you want to know about art?" he asked her. "You don't look like the artist type."

"I'm not," she owned up immediately, "but I do want to learn about art, and the want is genuine because in truth, I want to know about _you_." His face took on a startled expression, bemused and amused both at once, and she grinned at him nervously. That was fast. Maybe that came out a little wrong.

"I mean," she explained, blushing furiously and mentally kicking herself for not being more awake, "I didn't until about a second ago. When I first met you, you were a horrible monster, and I absolutely hated you. And when I thought I could reach an agreement with that, I saw what you really looked like, and I embarrassed myself. That's my own fault, but you still acted like such an asshole that I just kept holding more and more against you." She looked into the starless sky.

"But now," she said softly, "I know that, although you'll probably have a million more revelations that are sure to piss me off, the one you just showed me, I don't really mind. When I heard you talk about art like that, when I heard just the smallest tip of your anxieties, I'm not so mad anymore or upset. I think you're a little bit okay, just now. You're still a snide, sarcastic asshole, but I saw it myself: you're human. And I can live with that."

He paused as if he were unsure of what he was supposed to say, as if the conversation had gone in the last direction he ever expected it to. But the words he spoke next were as cold as ever.

"Ninjas aren't supposed to be human," he reminded her. "They're _supposed_ to be monsters." He snorted slightly. "Just what I'd expect of someone from Konoha."

"Well excuse me," she said, voice rising slightly, but still – the world seemed a bit more tranquil. Almost like she was arguing with Naruto or Shikamaru. A _friend_. Not entirely of course, but the echoes of conversations long past were still there. "You know, nowadays, they've been changing the way in the Suna as well." She looked up, a smile on her face as she recited the news.

"_The Kazekage, Gaara-sama, has recently stressed the importance of comradeship within the Suna community, as well as better public relations with the rest of the world, changing perhaps, some of Suna's most rooted, hidebound traditions_." She paused. "From _The Konoha Times_. You should know that if you're from Sunagakure."

"I suppose."

Sakura frowned at him as he shifted, very slightly, so that he no longer looked at her directly, and she knew that talking about his more deadly occupation wasn't really a discussion he'd like to have with her. And to be fair, he had asked her few questions about her own past.

"Tell me about art." She gazed at him pleadingly, and (though perhaps, she thought later, she had imagined it) he really did smile. A smile almost genuine.

"Okay."

And when he spoke of great artists of the past, of talent that transcended history and even the future, Sakura found herself listening and conversing until finally, under his misty and gentle voice, she had finally found the peace to sleep.

----

"An ancient Taijutsu challenge?" Kakashi asked Gai as they surveyed the mountain before them. Kakashi was impressed. He had actually never visited this area before (it was reserved mainly for medical ninjas and environmentalists), and it was stunning even in the night's darkness.

"Yosh!" Gai said sagely. "There are dozens of legends circulating this mountain, but only _one_ of them is true! Have you heard the tale of this mountain?"

"Who hasn't?" Of course, he had heard the legend, heard about the secret sealed within the mountain's cave. Not that it ever really interested him.

"Well," Gai said, closing his eyes as if in deep thought, "then you know we absolutely cannot go in there!"

But _Sakura_ was in there that much was certain. Kakashi had seen the hole in the blue gate, the footprints in the cliffs around it. Yes, Sakura had certainly fallen somehow into the cave. And he needed to retrieve her. But if Sakura hadn't come out, then perhaps those legends had some truth within them after all. Sakura was a smart and talented ninja. It would take one hell of a place to keep her trapped forever.

Kakashi sighed, worried for his student.

"Then what do we do?" he asked grimly. "If we can't go in there, how do I retrieve someone stuck within?"

Gai smiled.

"That's why I'm here!" he bellowed. "I came with you because I had a hunch that your student Sakura had fallen somehow into this incredible cave!" He gave Kakashi another Gai-smile, accompanied by a thumbs-up. "We're going to have to get rid of the cave _from the outside_."

"But how?" Kakashi asked doubtfully. Yes, how could they get rid of a gigantic mountain?

"There are points around the mountain," Gai instructed, "points, that have certain and very ancient curses within them." He nodded. "If we are to break the Genjutsu and Ninjutsu within the mountain, we will have to break all the seals that cause these curses on the inside." He sighed. "They say that these curses have incredible effects on Ninjutsu and Genjutsu especially." He smiled, obviously pleased with this idea. "Only the greatest in Taijutsu could enter it and search for the meaning of life. My student, Rock Lee, would excel here!"

Kakashi slumped as he watched Gai rant about his student. He had no idea about how much of what Gai said was true, but he could believe that there were certain objects creating traps and illusions inside the mountain, traps that, without the Sharingan eye or something similar, would be _extremely_ difficult to see and would be harder to fight against, especially once inside. He pulled his headband off his other eye.

"This will take a long time," he admitted. "We'll need some outside help… could your students assist us here?"

Gai nodded fiercely.

"I'll go back to the village," he told his partner, "but until I return I'll trust you to get started." Kakashi nodded, his Sharingan activated, when Gai grabbed his shoulder once more. "And, Kakashi," he warned, "don't fall in the cave."

Kakashi nodded. Of course. Only idiots would enter anyway.

----

**AN**: Wait, what? They don't hate each other as much? Well, that's no fun. XD. (And sorry for the short chapter. Next one's pretty short, too.)

And amen to Kakashi. But no, Kakashi won't fall into the cave (someone asked about that, but I also wanted to put this down anyway, so that was just their psychic ability shining through. And BTW, that was hilarious. Puppets? Pirates? Ha, ha! I never would've thought of that. Yeah, you can kill me now. XD). That is the cave of Sakura and Sasori's Great and Epic Love in which no other characters will encroach on. :D.


	8. Introductions Revisited

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! Everyone has been so sweet and funny (no flames yet, so I'll take that as a very good sign XD), and I really appreciate them all. Next chapter is filler (sort of) and very short. Chapter after that is a little more... ambitious? Oh, well. Please enjoy chapter eight!

----

**8: Introductions Revisited**

----

When Sakura finally woke up she found her stomach starved, her joints sore, and before her, there were a dozen or so pellets that vaguely resembled some sort of animal manure. So the bird monsters around here had to go, too? Well, that was odd…

"Not very appetizing, is it?" Sasori asked. He was standing up, his hands dirty, almost as if he had been working all morning. He looked at her expectantly, and she wrinkled her nose.

"No," she said curiously. "Is it supposed to?"

"No," he replied. "But you should eat it anyway."

"What!" Sakura almost jumped up and away from the pellets having now learned their true purpose. Flabbergasted, she whispered, half in shock, half in awe, "I'd had no idea that bird shit was edible."

Sasori stifled a sound, a sound torn between absolute disgust and utter vexation. "No, you fool. They were made from nutrients in the soil." He gestured to the ground. "Your idea actually. I processed them while you slept. Very rich in calcium I'm sure."

Her mouth was wide open, and she couldn't think of anything to say. That she had to eat the pellets was absolutely shocking, but that Sasori had actually made something for her was even more so. Was he actually being very friendly –

"You look absolutely horrible," Sasori told her. "You're so gaunt, you look like the creatures around here."

Okay, never mind. Still an asshole.

Gingerly, she held one in her hand – it felt more disgusting than it looked. Did he do that on _purpose_? Well, it really pissed her off. She nibbled it slightly and immediately spat it out.

"You trying to poison me!?"

Now Sasori really did look annoyed.

"Well forgive me for my lack of gourmet expertise," he snapped at her. "Next time, remind me not to cook, princess."

Oh. Well, now, _she_ felt like shit. He had obviously worked hard and diligently to make her some food, and she had refused it like a spoiled brat. Her behavior was inexcusable. Swallowing one immediately, she grimaced. Still vile. "Sorry."

"For what?" he asked, obviously livid. "For falling asleep while I explained hitokugtsu, for sleeping for about two days of time in this wretched place, or for insulting my generous donation of food?"

She winced. That was pretty bad.

"All of them," she said in a small voice, somewhat ashamed. "I'd no idea I slept so long." She stuffed another pellet into her mouth.

"I'd no idea you _could_ sleep so long," Sasori replied coolly. "I thought you were dead at one point."

"You'd want that, wouldn't you?" she said, a snort in her voice.

"I _cooked_ for you," he sighed, exasperated, and she felt really stupid again. "Our survival depends on one another, so I suppose the answer is no."

Frowning, she ate another pellet. Okay, so he was acting… nice. About as nice as he got, anyway. And gross as the pellet was, she could already feel strength return to her limbs. She'd been so ungrateful… She couldn't talk about that anymore or she'd feel even worse.

"Our last discussion," she mused. "Weren't we arguing about something?"

"Yes," Sasori said shortly, and Sakura regretted bringing up the topic immediately. "You called hitokugtsu, the art of human puppets, disgusting, and right when I finally had the time to explain myself after your incessant ranting, you fell asleep." She flinched inwardly. Oh yeah. That did happen, didn't it? "I thought kids these days had manners."

Kids these days? She glared at him.

"I'm sorry for falling asleep," Sakura apologized again, "but you're right – I didn't much care for human puppets. Sorry." He was still glowering at her. She stuck a pellet into her mouth again.

"But the stories by Chikamatsu Monzaemon were fascinating!" she exclaimed brightly, as she gulped the food down. She tried to smile, and he gave in, to her relief.

"Yeah, you liked those," Sasori admitted. "Somehow, you have at least a small taste in art."

"That was fun," Sakura grinned, liking where the conversation was going – away from her being a brat. "Last night, er – two nights ago, I mean. Lots of fun! Talking about art and stuff." Finishing the last of the pellets, she stood up. "Thanks."

"For the food or the discussion?"

"Both." She continued to smile, ignoring her throbbing cheeks. "It was pretty cool."

They began walking again, side by side, as they followed strange patterns in the bones, knowing that neither of them would probably get anywhere. But it was better than not trying, at least, not to mention that it gave Sakura the opportunity to think about her companion. What he had done was surprisingly kind, and yet it must have been so difficult. How could he have found the time?

Suddenly, a vast number of memories and thoughts, jumbled within her head, arranged themselves together. Sasori didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He didn't sweat or need a medical ninja. He was old even though he looked so young. His abilities were weakened here. He had a fascination with human puppets.

A fascination with human puppets…

"You turned yourself into a hitokugtsu," Sakura gasped disbelievingly. She looked at him, horrified. "I don't understand."

"I was wondering when you'd catch on," Sasori said, though Sakura could tell he was lying. He was impressed. "Actually, I thought you'd discovered that already." He sighed. "Another strike against me for overestimating your intelligence."

But Sakura was hardly listening to his false insults as she processed this newly acquired information. Every time… _every_ time she thought she had at least begun to understand him, he threw another twist in her direction! He didn't look like Hiruko or an old man, he was deadly, he _was_ a puppet… what the hell!? Next time, she'd learn he was some kind of God or monk. Hell, he could be a dangerous criminal that she ended up trusting! This was just so unfair!

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "Why didn't you fess up – you've had plenty of chances!"

He seemed surprised at her sudden change in attitude. He was an _idiot_. What was there _not_ to be surprised about?

"I'm so sick of your stupid games. I can't believe that you didn't tell me!"

"You," Sasori said flatly, "are making it very difficult to get along."

"Oh screw that!" Sakura snarled, Inner Sakura trumpeting a loud hell yeah. "I don't care about rules or guidelines – if _you_ really _cared_, you'd have told me first!"

In the back of her mind, Inner Sakura aside, Sakura felt a small twinge of guilt. He cared somewhat obviously; he had talked to her and made her food. But her other feelings overpowered that completely.

Sasori looked like he was about to slap her, but clearly thought better of it.

"Look," he explained, gritting his teeth, "my body is a _weapon_, my greatest tool. Under most circumstances, I can use it to fight, and as been so aptly demonstrated, it can serve as a disguise. Why would I reveal that to you, a stranger that I hardly know?"

Slowly, she calmed down. Once again, he had a lot of good sense. It was her fault for not having figured it out anyway. It had been _so_ obvious.

"I'm sorry," she said glumly. "I'm just tired of all the surprises."

He nodded. "I agree. We've had enough of surprises."

So she was traveling with a _puppet_, the adventures of the Flower and Doll-Boy! Oh, this was just…

"I enjoyed our conversations," she sighed.

"Oh, shut up," Sasori said. "It's not like I can't _think_."

But that wasn't the worst of it.

"I thought you were attractive."

Sasori looked caught between hissing and laughing out loud. That seemed to happen a lot with them.

"Puppets are good looking," he argued, smirking lightly. "And the face is human enough. You can be such a ridiculous girl."

----

So, she had figured it. Amazing really; he didn't suspect that she would do it so soon. But she was far more attentive than he gave her credit for. And, truly, he had enjoyed their conversations from a few nights ago. Though her opinions left much to be desired, at least she was intelligent and capable of debate.

They had been walking, in silence once again, for a while, and Sasori had time to think. Her outburst had been highly unnecessary, so unbelievably irrational. In a way though, Sasori could recognize that she had been thrust upon with just as many surprises as he had. But, was it the _feeling_ of surprise that caused her to react so strangely or was it the surprise itself?

"Does it bother you?"

He had no idea, none at all as to why those words escaped his lips and hung into the air. There were no lousy excuses for this question (it had nothing to do with her health or usefulness, it didn't have to be said) – nothing except for a burning and surprising curiosity that had been stuck in his throat and finally spat out. The girl, however, remained oblivious to the thoughts churning in his head, answering as if he had just asked a question utterly technical and mundane.

"No," she replied, though the answer came all too quickly. "You're a ninja, and ninjas must do whatever makes them most adept at the mission."

Sasori almost laughed at her answer. It was without doubt a flawless, the _right_, response, but anyone could sense the obvious hesitation in the girl's voice. In a way though, Sasori was somewhat pleased; obviously the question had entered her mind before, and she had found an answer for herself. At least she was aware, even if she was a horrible liar.

"If I wanted to know that, I'd have read a textbook," he told her. "Textbooks do, after all, describe the perfect ninja." He inspected her skeptically from his standing position, a blush reddening on her cheeks under his gaze. He snorted. "And you, I'm afraid, are from the embodiment of a perfect ninja."

She turned away from him and continued walking, clearly embarrassed. Sasori sighed. That wasn't exactly the intention.

"I mean does it bother you personally?" he amended, and this time, she stopped, her posture tense. She seemed to consider her reply before finally turning back to him.

"A little," she said softly. "Here I was, beginning to get along with you and accept your humanity when it turns out you're about as real as Hiruko." As she looked away into the distance behind him, Sasori saw sadness sketched lightly across her features.

"Are you a puppet?" she blurted as if against her will, watching him with weary eyes. "Or are you human?"

Later Sasori would reason his following reply was motivated by his need to reach an understanding with this girl with whom he'd be stuck with forever, another attempt to get along. But what he felt at the instance of the question had nothing to do with rules or guidelines, nothing about right or wrong – nothing except that now, now without any shields or pretenses, she had truly answered the question more perfectly than he'd ever imagined it could be replied.

Slowly, he pulled away part of his traveling cloak to reveal his mechanic body, a body almost fully devoid of any human qualities, a tool almost through and through. The girl's eyes widened at the plug in his chest, the coil in his stomach, the lines around his neck, too thick to be anything but cut through the layer of skin and into the mechanisms beneath.

"A human that wanted to be a puppet," he said, and firmly, but not roughly, he took her own hand, soft and warm he was sure, and placed it on his chest, on the part where the chakra flowed. She was too stunned to resist. "But couldn't."

He didn't know how long they stood there, her hand touching his heart, her eyes forced straight into his, but it seemed to be forever, albeit a forever that was all too short. But the effect was permanent – the atmosphere tranquilized, and walls that were never meant to be broken crashed unceremoniously to the ground. Slowly, he let go of her hand, and slower still, her fingers curled into a fist as they left from his chest to a controlled movement to her side.

Her emerald eyes were still locked with him.

"Is there any other way?" she asked feebly, and Sasori knew exactly what she meant.

"No."

And with that, the contact was over, though the air surrounding them remained clam. Averting her eyes, she once again turned away.

"Thank you for telling me this, Sasori." Her voice was utterly sincere. The smallest of smiles flitted across his lips.

"Of course." He paused. "Sakura."

----

**AN**: HOMG, they're on a first name basis! It _must_ be love.

I just hope it doesn't seem like they're moving too fast. Oh, well. What's done is done. Enjoy. (Though for those of you wanting a kiss… um, you're going to have to wait a pretty long time… XD).

And Sasori's body is a weapon (yes, that was done on purpose). LOL.


	9. Flower Girl and Doll Boy

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

AN: OMG, I'm so sorry for not updating. Please don't think I've lost interest. But I'm gonna say this; the days are just PACKED. XD. Updates are going to be coming a LOT slower... and yes, I've written the next few chapters, but it's all about pacing the posting with the writing for me. Sorry. Next update will be at the end of next week, I think. XD.

----

**9: Flower Girl and Doll Boy**

----

"Well, what about yours?"

"Pink of course!"

"Of course."

"Or blue… I really like blue. Don't pink and blue go well together?"

"They clash. Sometimes the result is pleasing, but usually similar colors complement each other best, are the most aesthetically agreeable."

"Like yellow and pink? Or pink and red?"

"Something like that," Sasori said distantly, not really liking the girl's tone or where the conversation was going at all. Somehow though, it seemed to go that way a lot.

It was generally a pointless exercise, this question asking thing. She had just quizzed him on his favorite color, but it had started when Sakura asked him about his favorite play. After much elaboration and debate, it had somehow transformed into a questions game. Sasori decided that answering the questions was far easier than avoiding them. Play along, have a conversation. It really wasn't that bad.

"Favorite season?"

Except that they just kept coming. God, they wouldn't end, would they?

"Winter."

They have must have been traveling for three days since her two-day nap, maybe at this point, four. They had fallen into an odd, and yet strangely satisfying routine. They walked aimlessly, avoided the danger, talked when she was awake, and he processed her food while she rested. Overall, it was uneventful and, despite himself, Sasori found that he was _relaxing_. It wasn't as if dangerous S-class missions stressed him out, and he _did_ enjoy the danger and killing and blood and stuff, but this was an unexpected break. And it was sort of… nice.

"I like spring," she told him. "Everything bursts into bloom."

"Only to die a few months later," he snorted.

She scowled at him. That happened at lot, too.

"What? Do you like it when everything's dead?"

He sighed impatiently, turning his head away from her and her annoying attitude. Hadn't she learned _anything_ about him?

"I don't care much for seasons. Why do you think I lived in the desert?"

She blushed slightly, a little embarrassed.

"Okay, well why did you say winter?"

He frowned at her. Yes, that was a pretty quick reaction from a person who didn't like seasons, wasn't it? Maybe she paid closer attention than he thought.

"It's still and unchanging," he said, uncharacteristically slow and thoughtful. He nodded to her. "Until spring, of course."

She scratched her head, confused.

"What's wrong with change?"

Damn it, never mind – had she listened to him _at all_? He must have said it a million times – art is _permanence_. It lasts _forever_. What the hell about that concept was so damn difficult to grasp?

"Beauty lasts an eternity. We've been over this before," he muttered, but even he was proud of his control of temper. At least he didn't lash out at her or anything.

"Oh, I don't think so," Sakura replied, a slight smile on her face, as if the topic was entirely new to her. "I think watching something develop – a person, a relationship – getting to know someone, having something become new and important, well, _that's_ beautiful." She gave him a slight bow in respect. "Your concept of art is beautiful, too, Sasori. But the world isn't art. It's a lot more."

He opened his mouth to argue immediately, then closed it. There was no point.

"I can't expect a child like you to understand," he said flatly. "I'll let it slide this once."

"Because what I said made sense?"

What the…

"Hell no," he snapped, temper control be damned. "There're too many holes in your pathetic theory. You mention that getting to know someone is a beautiful thing. Well, is _losing_ someone a beautiful thing? Is that an astonishing, enlightening experience?"

Her entire facial expression slumped; her eyes became downcast, her mouth relaxed into a frown before twisting into the saddest of smiles.

"I'm grateful, then, that I ever knew them at all."

They had stopped walking, and Sasori reflected on her statement, his thoughts traveling, despite himself, to his parents. Was it best that he knew them? No – surely he would've been better off without them, right? They had been useful in that their deaths motivated his career, but otherwise, they didn't really matter right? Weren't they nothing to him now, part of a past that might as well not exist?

And yet, lately, he thought of them and not few and far between, but more often than he ever realized he could. Why? When Sakura asked him about them a few nights ago, he had answered, and once again, no excuse existed. It was because he wanted to. Because he felt that he _had_ to say it, that it was a necessity. That he would… betray them if he didn't.

This cave drove him nuts. So much for _relaxing_.

"I'm glad I knew them" she said quietly to herself. "I'm so happy I met them. I'll bring them back. I promised."

Sasori's eyes widened. What was with her? There was something very strange about her look, something so determined and broken at the same time – an incredible juxtaposition of feelings blended into one. He never saw that with Deidara who displayed only simple emotions, never saw that with Itachi who gave no emotions at all, never saw it with his subordinates who could merely gaze at Hiruko in fear. But this girl, this Haruno Sakura, expressed her heart entirely to the world; he could see every emotion, every feeling, but he couldn't know what it was until he saw it himself. It changed. It merged. It affected him.

It was confusing.

"This was a horrible topic," he said, unsettled with her sadness. "Let's start a new one, okay?"

Her mouth hung slightly in surprise as if what he had just done was a _kind_ thing, and then she smiled. If he had guts, he knew they'd be swirling uncomfortably in his stomach. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Okay!" she said brightly. "Um… favorite food?"

There was an awkward silence. Shocked, she covered her mouth.

"Oh, uh… sorry," she said. "I… damn, well, I can't believe I just said that. It was pretty insensitive, so let's –"

"Sweets."

"Huh?"

He glared at her.

"Do you ever pay attention to me?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "I said I like sweets. When I was a child, my grandmother would buy me candy when I was upset. I've always had a preference towards sweet food."

She laughed.

"That's ironic."

"Pray tell."

"You're usually so sour. And rotten."

He felt an eyebrow twitch. Did he really deserve that comment? Yeah, probably but –

"I'm joking."

"Of course you are –" he began, but then he stopped. She was laughing, laughing hard but not unpleasantly, as if she was really having _fun_. And for the oddest of reasons, he didn't feel so mad anymore. Actually he felt kind of – no! No, of course he was still pissed off. He _deserved_ it, no he had _earned _it!

"Will you please shut up?" he asked, and she continued to smile at him.

"Since you requested so nicely, I guess so, Sasori," Sakura said. She put a hand on his shoulder. "That was classic. When you get so mad, you look like you're not really used to it. You're more used to being calm and all, so when you get annoyed… I don't know how to explain it. It's just so funny." She covered her mouth. "Oops! Sorry, I promised I'd be quiet, but I broke it."

"I expected as much," he grumbled, but he felt a little unnerved. She didn't utilize language sophisticatedly per say, but she had a way with words.

"Hey, hey," she complained. "I'm an honest person."

Despite himself, he smiled slightly, too. Yeah, he could believe that much. She _was_ an honest person – maybe the worst quality for a ninja, but somehow, he had begun to like that part about her. He appreciated it more than he ever thought he would.

"So you lived with your grandmother after you parents died?"

"Yes."

"That must have been so difficult," she said quietly, a little unsure. "I'm… sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sasori said flatly. "Anyway, ninja lose their parents and teammates all the time."

"But you still miss them, don't you?"

Had she told him that a week earlier, he would have immediately told her "no." But somehow, this cave and Sakura had changed him. He hesitated.

"If you don't want to talk about it, let's not," Sakura said quickly. "Sorry if that's a sensitive spot."

He nodded distractedly. Sensitive, huh? Tell him about it.

"What kind of books do you like to read?"

"Good ones?" he replied, a little unsure. Now, she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I really expected you to read bad literature." But, she lost focus after that, and suddenly, she too, was paying more attention to their never ending journey than to their conversation. God damn it, why was it so awkward? He didn't like all the _talking_, but now the silence was so… uncomfortable…

"Well, you've suffered, too, haven't you?" Sasori asked uncertainly, and mentally kicked himself for sounding so timid. Since when was he _timid_? But then again, since when did he ask so many unnecessary things?

"No," Sakura said sadly as if he wasn't acting strange at all. "No… I haven't lost anyone really precious to me, but…" She stopped walking, and Sasori stopped with her. Shaking, she continued, "I… I promised that I'd bring them back! They don't have to be gone forever! I was… I was just so close to being near them! Just… if I didn't get lost in here, I would've been able to see them. But, I'm so pathetic! I get stuck in this cave! I broke all my promises, and once again…"

She was crying. Not hard, and it was completely against herself, but…

"Oh, shut up. You're not _completely_ pathetic."

"No, I am," she whispered. "I'm the weakest link."

Something in Sasori snapped. The weakest link? Then, what the fuck was he? The rusty old link that didn't even count? Honestly, he didn't have time for this girl's troubles, especially since every single one of them were completely unfounded.

"Look," Sasori snarled, "you're really pissing me off right now. The whole time we've been here, all I can think is _what a girl_. And here you are, demeaning and insulting my respect with your lack of confidence which you choose to demonstrate at _exactly_ the wrong moment." Uh, maybe that wasn't the most tactful thing to say? She still looked pretty upset.

He hesitated, shutting his eyes. Ugh, he… he didn't have time for teenage girls and their insecurities! But the crying made him _really_, _really_ uncomfortable. It wasn't just the fact that she was crying, but all these strange feelings, and lack of feelings, that accompanied it. He didn't feel bad for her exactly, but there was no joy there, no happiness in seeing some brat cry. It had to be because he didn't _cause_ it. And, he needed it to stop. Right now.

Defeated, he sighed.

"I think most people would be grateful to have you as a friend, Sakura," he said, wincing slightly, though he didn't let her see it. This was just… "You're forgiving. You're kind. The weakest link isn't you, but that you're _considered_ the weakest link. I know that. And I know that, those thoughts… they won't always stay that way."

And, then, she stopped crying, and looked at him in amazement. What, was it that surprising that he said something _nice_?

Uh, yeah, actually.

"Sasori the shrink, huh?" she asked finally, smiling as if remembering some inside joke. "I think I've found a new career for you."

"Shut up." Every time he tried to help, she turned it completely against him. But he felt like something had been removed from his chest. He felt a little bit… happier. It was a strange, strange feeling.

"I won't be frustrated anymore," she said determinedly. "Here's to a new beginning."

----

_Naruto… Kakashi-sensei…_

_Sasuke-kun…_

"Sakura." Something was shrugging her shoulders. "Sakura."

Groggily, she opened her eyes. She hadn't slept for that long, she definitely knew. This was making her very, very grumpy…

"Sasori?" she mumbled, as he stopped shaking her. "Do I have to wake up already?"

"That depends."

Why, oh why, did he have to be so cryptic? This was payback for all those questions… oh, she knew he hated them with all his heart…

"On what?"

"Well," he said teasingly. "I have a question for you."

Yes, this was _definitely_ revenge.

"I don't want to hear it."

He laughed. "Actually, you might. What's cold, written on, and extremely useful? It's a bad riddle, but give it your best shot."

He woke her up for _this_? Oh, she would kill him…

"I couldn't care less."

"You might if you knew it was our way out."

She jerked awake immediately, and scrambled to her feet.

"What?"

He grabbed her upper-arm. "Come on."

They raced forward through the dirt path, and though she was exhausted, Sakura didn't care. A way out? Home? She forced herself to forget them, and yet never had she felt so excited… Sakura's eyes widened as she saw a stone standing out amongst the trees. An inscription had been engraved on it. Somewhat like the inscription she had seen on the gate a lifetime ago…

She pressed her hand to the cool stone, studying the elegant calligraphy. Yes, it was the same kind of text from so long ago, from another world entirely. That other world existed. A way out existed. She read the words. Or did it?

_Go forward and face THE TRIALS._

"The trials?" she whispered somewhat sarcastically, somewhat completely freaked. "Sounds ominous…"

"It _is_ ominous," Sasori corrected. "Sakura, there's a staircase."

And there was. Behind the stone, and Sakura couldn't realize how she didn't see it before, there was a staircase there, one that seemed to go on forever as if it lead to the top of a temple, though admittedly the tallest temple she had ever seen. She shivered.

"This is our best lead," Sasori smirked, obviously completely unperturbed that a terrifying staircase had magically appeared out of thin air. "Finally, it seems our wandering has paid off."

Sakura nodded, as she walked cautiously to the steps. Maybe invincible man wasn't at all horrified, but what if they were an illusion? What if some giant monster popped out? This place was just so creepy…

She placed her foot onto the steps. They stood solidly beneath her.

"Yeah," she admitted warily. "But what exactly have we bought?"

He cast an amused glance.

"Are you scared?"

She shook her head. She wouldn't let him see her fear.

"No. Let's go."

----

**AN**: I lengthened the chapter because I felt horrible about not posting. It's filler, but it's actually one of my favorites. Their first conversation was so fun to write. :3

But the next chapter is a little harder. It was very, very tough to write, and I'm still so unhappy with the results. I can only hope for the best.


	10. A Hundred Lifetimes

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: Writing is rusty. Please forgive me.

----

**10**: A Hundred Lifetimes

----

The steps were endless, Sakura decided, groaning as she lifted her foot once more. The straight path for a temple had transformed somehow on their walk, and was now a maddening spiral staircase instead. She wasn't _tired_ exactly – she was a ninja, for god sake – but not knowing when the pathway ended was frustrating. In the cave they were in, everything - the atmosphere, the bones, the birds… even the damn stairs, which represented a _humane_ world - truly aggravated her.

"I hate this," she complained to her companion. "Caves suck. I'm never going spelunking voluntarily again."

Sasori's eyes rolled.

"Why would you ever want to do something called 'spelunking' to begin with?" he asked, not even looking at her. She stopped moving, only to glare at him, and mirroring her lack of movement, he stopped as well, perfectly still. Or at least he tried to.

"You should be used to this by now, Sakura," he said after a moment, clearly perturbed by her eyes boring into the back of his crimson head. "This whole place sucks."

Sakura smiled slightly, and they began moving again. In truth, it wasn't that bad. Sasori had become more and more sociable with every movement made in their barren world, and, it seemed, she had even rubbed off on him. _This whole place sucks_. She almost snickered. Those words came from the mouth of the same man who could speak so eloquently about all forms of art.

Somehow, he must have heard her lips turn – or maybe, at that point, they had become so in tune with one another, they could predict each other's movements – because he turned to her, an annoyed glance on his angelic face.

"I was commiserating with you," he sighed, "and here you are _giggling_ at me."

Sakura shook her head, her eyes laughing.

"Only a little," she replied, "I just think you're starting to lose your vocabulary." He gaped at her openmouthed, as if he finally realized _exactly_ what he had said earlier. "But you know, in today's world, _sucks_ is a really expressive term."

He looked as though he wanted to say something witty and nasty in response, but somehow, could not find the words, and he settled on pressing his lips tightly together instead.

They continued their journey, occasionally speaking and joking and laughing (if only a little), ascending more and more, hour by hour. But Sakura was becoming worried, and she knew exactly when she began to show it.

"What's wrong?" Sasori asked the second her eyebrows furrowed and her expression became lost. "Are you hungry?"

"No," Sakura said, "I just… I just don't know when all this walking will end. We've been at this forever."

Sasori frowned at her.

"It was like this earlier," he mused. "We spent a long time in the part of the cave where crystals grew. And then, we shared an even longer period in that barren wasteland. Might these steps be the same way?"

She nodded slowly, still unable to shake her worried expression.

"I know…" she said. "But… this place is different… there are no birds here…"

"Don't jinx it," Sasori snapped, and then they both smiled weakly. Eventually, he nodded at her again. "But, yeah, I agree. Something's not right here."

"I feel like we're not really moving," Sakura confessed. "I don't feel like there's anything at the top… hell, there might not even be a top to these stairs."

"No," Sasori said gesturing to the world below, visible around and under the unsupported staircase. "There are clouds, miles down. We must have moved."

"Maybe," Sakura replied, "but I don't ever remember walking through any clouds."

Sasori flinched slightly, clearly upset by the revelation, or maybe, Sakura figured in a small, cynical corner in her mind, upset that she had figured it out before he had.

"Well, clouds move…" he began to argue, but, realizing the futility, just trailed off and shook his head.

But Sakura was no longer paying attention, her head going back and forth on their new predicament. What could she do? She could not walk up the stairs forever, and she couldn't keep going through the levels like they were some kind of game, especially a game with no clear ending. Her friends were waiting for her… friends she had not seen in forever, but still held her heart. Enough was enough. That was it. She was going to risk it.

She moved to the edge of the staircase.

"Sakura," Sasori asked, an edge of annoyance failing to mask his confusion and worry, "Sakura, what are you doing?"

She looked at him determinedly.

"Sasori, I'm sorry," she said. "I've really come to admire you, and I shouldn't do this to you. But I have to try something. I have to try it even if it kills me, and leaves you behind."

"What is that something?" Sasori asked, and Sakura could hear his panic. Her heart broke a little inside. It wasn't fair, she knew – they had been through so much – and she knew what it was like to have friends abandon her for… maybe everything.

But they had gotten everything hadn't they? Naruto was a great ninja. Sasuke had the power to kill his brother. She was sure of it.

"I think you know." She smiled at him weakly, as he extended his hand out to her, trying to stop her, but to her, it seemed as if it was in slow motion.

"Goodbye."

She jumped.

----

It did not feel like he had jumped, Sasori realized when he landed. It felt as if he had simply walked off of that unsupported staircase onto dry earth beside it. But it _looked_ as if Sakura had leaped off the staircase, falling forever into the clouds. But as he wandered around his new environment, he saw that the staircase had completely disappeared and figured that Sakura probably had felt the exact same sensation as well. Now he just had to find her… and murder her, he thought, while he was at it.

The second he had seen her step, he immediately followed suit. He needed her. He needed her abilities, her intelligence… he needed all that to survive. And he wanted… well, he…

He hated to admit it, but trapped in the miserable cave, he had come to _like_ the girl.

And so, of course, when she had jumped, he had never felt more scared, more exposed, or more alone, even if it was only for a split second. Ninjas didn't have emotion, he knew, but since at that point, he had practically no ninja abilities anyway, his conscience had figured _why the hell not_? She was a great warrior. She was a surprisingly articulate intellectual. And she was, as she might put it, a kickass girl, and a cool kid. And what she had done, leaving him the way she did, was the cruelest act of betrayal he had ever received.

"Sakura?" he called. "Sakura? I know you can hear me. I'm going to kill you when I find you after this childish excuse of hide-and-seek."

She wasn't responding, but at the same time, something was undeniably wrong. His voice had no echo… his voice had no voice. He could hear himself, but his voice seemed muffled by something… something thick…

The clouds. They had seen the clouds, and now, Sasori realized horrified, they were in them. Or at least he was. And they were thick, so thick, that they stopped the sound waves… so thick that…

Sasori couldn't move, the cloud particles bogging him down and suffocating him. And though he didn't need air, the sensation that crept over him washed through him so fast that he could not remember what exactly had happened.

----

Sakura groaned, as she pulled herself up. The mist surrounding her had made her sluggish, and caused her to faint – how long exactly, she did not know. All she knew was that she was in a different place from before. Well, maybe she had made the right choice.

"Sasori," she coughed. "Hey, Sasori!"

She wondered if he had jumped as well. If she had to bet on it, she would have said that he did… he did need her after all. And besides, she reasoned, he would never let some little girl do something so daring while he just stood and watched.

But she knew the yelling was pointless. No one could hear her in the environment, that she knew. It was too dense… too empty…

"Sakura?"

Sakura froze. That was not Sasori's voice. But it was a voice she knew.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned around to face the voices, and her jaw nearly hit the ground.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered. "Naruto…"

----

When Sasori woke up, he felt a strange feeling. He had not slept in what felt like forever, and indeed, it had been a lifetime ago, that his eyes had closed and his mind had drifted to a more fantastical world.

And now, everything was warm. He had not felt warmth in the longest time, but now, it seeped through every crack in his puppet body, warming his cord of chakra almost as if it were his heart. He checked his hands. Well, his body was the same…

"Sasori, come here," a voice said, gentle and feminine. "We need you in the middle."

Sasori froze. He had not heard that sound… not since the time of his dreams…

"Mother?" he whispered. The dark-haired lady before him smiled. And beside her, a rugged man. "Father?"

"Why are you so surprised?" his father laughed, grabbing Sasori's arm, and pulling him in. "We want to take pictures today. Perfect time. Perfect weather in Sunagakure. 'Course there's almost always perfect weather here…"

"Father," Sasori said almost nervously, "we're not in Sunagakure. We're not anywhere."

"What are you talking about dear?" his mother asked sweetly. "We're in Sunagakure. Look around."

Sasori glanced around nervously, and Sunagakure formed before him instantly. He knelt to the ground and felt the sand seep through his fingers. He was in Sunagakure. There were children playing and there, in front of him, was the photographer, busily messing with the camera and impatiently waiting for the family to pose.

"Of course, we're in Sunagakure," he said, grasping both his parents' hands. "Shall we take a picture?"

----

They were older, Sakura smiled. They looked older, wiser, stronger – just as she knew that they would. She felt tears form at the corners of her eyes. She had waited so long for this day, and now, finally, it was here.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said beaming at her, bright as the sun (just as she knew). "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Beside him, Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, Sakura," he agreed. "Long time, no see."

Sakura could only stare at them, her heart filled endlessly with happiness. They were here. They were here! And they were here together, posing just as always, waiting for her just as always…

"Why are you together?" she finally blurted, unsure of why she was even asking that question, almost as if her body had a mind of its own. "I thought you hated each other."

"Actually, Sakura," Sasuke spoke, a small smirk forming on his still-handsome face, "_we_ never hated each other."

"You didn't?" Sakura asked confused. She paused for second before smiling again. "Well, that's great! But then why…"

"We never hated each other, Sakura-chan," Naruto interrupted, a smile still stretched upon his optimistic face. "We only hated you."

Wait, _what_?

"You look confused, Sakura," Sasuke said softly. "I don't know why you would be."

Sakura could only gape at them.

"But…" she whispered. "I thought that… no, that's impossible-"

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whined, using the same tone of voice he used when he didn't have his way with ramen, "how is that impossible? You're annoying, talkative, unappreciative, spoiled, and weak. Really weak. Sasuke, remember how we used to have to always save her ass?"

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed, eyes narrowing. "Just thinking about that really pisses me off. I think she should suffer Naruto."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. "Let's kill her!"

----

Sasori smiled as the camera flashed, the man behind it busily shifting through the material. It had to have been their hundredth picture, but for some reason, the cameraman deemed something imperfect each time.

"What's wrong?" Sasori's mother asked again, and Sasori braced himself for the usual answer; the lighting, some kid was in the way, the wind, the sand, the texture of the picture… In truth, though, he didn't mind. He was with his parents, taking a photo. There was no place in the world he would have rather been.

However, Sasori could tell something was different this time the instant the photographer met his mother's eyes.

"That kid in the middle isn't right," he said softly. He lifted a finger. "He doesn't belong here."

Although the man's words were sinister, Sasori's initial response was annoyance.

"What do you mean I don't belong here?" he snapped. "Of course I do. I'm with my parents."

"No," the man whispered, "there's something. Something horribly wrong. You're not like them."

Sasori frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at his hands," the man said, and he saw his parents look down to his fingers, his wrists, the creases around his wrists…

Oh, God. He wasn't human.

The man took a step closer to him.

"How old are you?" he hissed. "You shouldn't… you shouldn't still be alive… you managed to conquer death while the rest of us lay dying…"

Sasori reached back instinctively to reach his parents, but they dissolved before his eyes, turning to bones and dust, dust that circled around, swirled into him.

The man before him faded less quickly.

"You made a deal with the devil," he said softly, his eyes opened ominously wide. "You must… you must pay the price…"

And then, he disappeared, too, and Sasori was left in his village, his empty village, all alone.

He was alone.

And then the dust pierced him in.

----

Sakura couldn't run; something thick and heavy was dragging her down, pushing her to the earth. But Sasuke and Naruto were beside her, and she could almost feel their blows.

It hurt, she realized dully in the back of her mind as her eyes shut tight in what she thought would be forever. The pain was unbearable; the boys were so strong, and she was so weak. But what hurt most was that…

…She deserved it. Every blow, every bruise, she deserved utterly and completely. She was worthless. She could do nothing. She had promised that she would be there to save them, but, she realized at that moment, she had failed in so many ways. She had gotten lost. She could not find them. She was useless, always hurting them and her friends and Kakashi-sensei, always ruining them, always being the weakest link…

_Most people would be grateful…_

Her eyes opened. That voice… whose voice was that? She had heard it before…

_You're forgiving. You're kind_.

Slowly, she stood up, despite the boys advances.

"What are you doing!"

"Stay down – you don't deserve to stand!"

"You're weak!"

_The weakest link isn't you, but that you're _considered _the weakest link_.

Sasori.

He had believed in her, hadn't he? Even though he was the type of guy that simply didn't care about these things, simply didn't care about emotions and whatnot – well, somehow, she was _sure_ that he had come to care about her. Because, to him, she knew, she was a companion. A useful ally. A _friend_.

She had abandoned him. It was her duty to find him.

"Sorry, Naruto," she said, her voice growing louder, and she stood with a strength she did not know she had. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun. But you can't do this to me. I'm sorry for what I once was, but I'm not that anymore!"

And with those words, she hurled a blow across her friends' faces.

They were gone.

Everything was gone. Sasuke-kun, Naruto… gone. The mist… gone. Everything…

"Damn it!" Sakura howled. "It was a trap!" She glanced around her surroundings nervously. The area she was in now completely white – the ground, the air – it was as if she was in a world of salt. But she could see clearly now. She could talk clearly now. But she was alone, and something was trying to kill her.

She had to find Sasori.

----

He had not felt pain in decades, and it was only now that he remembered how damn lucky (and how damn brilliant) he really was. At least until the point he was now in.

It was as if something was tearing at him. It was as if his mother and father had come to exact revenge for making false replications of them, trying to substitute the imagination for reality, and for using their likeness as an art of war. He had never meant for that to happen. He knew it now. He had become a puppet just so that he could forget the pain he felt… the pain in his body, the pain in his heart.

Ninja weren't supposed to have hearts. But he had failed. He knew this now.

He had earned this pain.

For all his life, Sasori realized, he had never been strong enough. Sure, he may have destroyed countries and assassinated the world's finest, but in every way, he had lost. He could not be with his parents again. And his parents could never look at him proudly. He knew this now as their ghosts haunted his body and destroyed his omnipresent soul, the soul he tried to dispel of, but was now irrevocably not enough.

He wanted to cry out. He wanted to die. He had come to a place wanting to live forever, but now, now, it was too late. He would give it up.

"I surrender," he said. "Mother, father… Mom, Dad, I surrender! I swear I'm sorry!"

The pain multiplied, growing exponentially…

And then it was gone? Was this what death felt like?

"I never thought I'd see the day," he heard a familiar voice say, somewhat amused and somewhat relieved, "where I'd hear you talk like that. You're Sasori, the great ninja, the artist. I thought you never gave up."

Sasori reexamined his surroundings. He was in a white plain, and before him, was that pink-haired girl – oh, what was her name - Sakura! – lifting his hand and smiling at him slightly.

"It was just an illusion," she said brightly, pointing out the obvious. "Feeling better?"

"You saved me," he whispered.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I hate to admit it, but you saved me first."

He did not know which one moved first, but before he knew it, they were in each other's arms, clutching each other tightly. It was not a lover's embrace, they both knew, and it was not the tender touch of parent and child, but it was, it _was_, a hug, a shared contact between friends. Because undoubtedly, Sasori knew, undeniably, that was what they were. Stuck in the most impossible world, against the most impossible odds, they had become friends. Great ones. Ones that could last… a lifetime.

When finally, one of them stepped back – and once again, he did not know who – they smiled at each other. Their clasp had lasted only a moment, but to Sasori, it seemed to have lasted forever. _And it might as well may have_, he thought, because he knew now that was the only way to live.

"I might actually owe you one, kid," Sasori said. "I might actually owe you."

Their arms were still locked, and Sakura grinned cockily.

"You don't, but let's say you do. I'll keep you to your word."

Sasori nodded.

"Sounds fair," he responded. He looked around their surroundings. "Well, since we seem to have mastered this place, I wonder what will happen next."

"Undoubtedly," Sakura replied, "something new's going to show up. I'll bet I'll find it first."

"Too late," Sasori smirked, as he looked forward, straight above her head. He released her, and pointed his finger straight ahead. "There's a black hole over there. Shall we walk into it?"

Sakura laughed.

"Oh, yeah. Tell this place to bring it on!"

----

"We're almost done," Tenten said, a smile behind her sweat as she looked at her partner. "We've been working for days, and looks like it's finally paid off. Gai-sensei was right. This place will fall to the ground."

Neji nodded as he adjusted his eyes. It had been an exhausting and tedious process, but results seemed near. He used his vision to see the kinks in the mountain, the underground rivers of chakra that surrounded it.

"Aim your weapons there, Tenten," he said, "and watch this world collapse."

----

There was snow, and it was snowing.

It was cold, Sakura realized, it was cold. They had stepped through the portal, and there were now things she recognized. Snow. Ice. Stone. Something about this was right. It was as if the cave was from a lifetime ago.

"Sakura," her partner said, somewhat (although he'd never admit it) in awe, "I think we're at the top of the mountain."

"So there is a top," she breathed. "There is a mountain."

"We're above the clouds," Sasori said, almost unable to contain his excitement, "We're at the place no man can reach – Sakura, we've done it. We've gone where no one's gone before, or at least in a very long time."

She stepped forward, admiring the footprint she left with every step. Everything about the air here was clear and fresh. She had never felt so clean.

She could not see off the edge of the mountain – she did not care – but she knew that they could climb down it somehow. She knew that it would take a long time to go down what was impossible to climb up, but she knew there had to be a way.

"What are you doing?" Sasori asked.

"I'm looking for a way down," Sakura replied. "We may get out of here soon enough."

She could feel Sasori smile although she wasn't looking at his face.

"Don't you want to read the secret first?"

Her eyes widened, as she looked across the plateau they were on, straight ahead, to a tablet. She could not read it from the distance they were, but she nodded to her companion, and they began to walk towards it.

"A life worth meaning. I can't believe it's here," she said. "I just can't believe it."

"I can," Sasori snorted. "It's what I came here for."

And Sakura had never felt so happy as the approached, never felt more satisfied. It felt as if the world was rocking back upon itself in celebration of this glorious discovery.

Sasori froze. Sakura glared at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Come on, let's go read it."

"Sakura," Sasori said, "we're shaking. The ground is shaking."

"So?" Sakura questioned, confused. They were about to make the greatest find of a hundred lifetimes!

"It's moving – the mountain's collapsing – Sakura, we have to move!"

Somewhere, she felt him grab her hand, felt her eyes being torn from the tablet she had been so transfixed on, and suddenly, she had the feeling of falling, falling, with somewhere beside her, off the edge of the world and into the tumultuous black.

----

**AN**: I realize that it's ridiculous that I'm posting this now. I know there are no readers that owe me any favors, but if you were an original reader of this story, I would love to know if you still are reading this. I know this chapter wasn't very good – I remember struggling with it the first time I wrote it, and I definitely know it was rushed by the end. But, please, give me some time to warm up. I'll make it better. I promise.

Lots of grammar errors in this chapter. I'm sure of it. But I was a little rushed. It's past midnight, but I seriously wanted to get this out. Thank you. I may edit sometime later.


	11. Dual Impossibilities

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

**AN**: Shout out to the original readers. I had no idea there were so many!

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**11**: Dual Impossibilities

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She had never felt so very cold.

It was snowing, Sakura realized, it was snowing, and snow covered the ground like a blanket. She had not felt the cold in such a long time; it did not freeze too often in Konohagakure and especially not during the season they were in. She had not felt cold like this in the longest of time.

She had never felt so very fresh.

Something in the air was undeniably clean, almost as if she was the first person to breathe it. She felt as if every part of the air was gathering around her, coming into her and going out, as if it was curious to meet her… as if it had never met a person before.

"How are you feeling?"

Sakura turned slowly towards her companion, a smile on his face – a hint of smugness as usual, but a genuine smile for him nonetheless.

"I've never felt so alive."

He nodded at her.

"Yeah," he said simply, "me, too." He pointed a finger ahead. "There's the tablet. There's the secret. Read it, and you'll have a life worth meaning."

"I'm going first," she told him, grinning cockily as if expecting a challenge, but he just shook his head.

"Go for it." She beamed at him, and his expression soured as if he couldn't believe those words had come out of his mouth. "Just this once, though. Just this once."

Slowly, she stepped forward, savoring every moment. She had not come to the mountain for this consciously, but now, she realized, it was destiny. It was her destiny to see this, to share it with everyone.

She peered curiously onto the tablet, expecting some beautiful calligraphy, expecting some wonderful truth, but it wasn't there. There was nothing there.

"Sasori," she cried, "there's nothing on this tablet! There's nothing here!"

Something was wrong. She was supposed to find a deeper meaning – she was supposed to find the truth – but there was no truth! There was nothing but lies!

"Sasori?"

She spun around on the plateau, and she could see no one. No one. There was nothing except snowflakes. Fluff.

"Sasori?" she called, collapsing onto the ground, not under any physical ordeal but a great mental weight that pulled her down. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Sasori? Sasori!"

----

"_Sakura_!"

"Ouch!"

"No, that's _my_ ouch!"

"You can't feel pain!"

"Trust me," Sasori grumbled, seething inside, "_anyone_ could feel that." He rubbed his jaw, upset. All he was trying to do was wake her up. He had let her lay unconscious for a while, but when she began squirming in turmoil, something in him decided to just wake her up. And in his act of kindness, she had lurched forward, slamming her all-too-hard head into his puppet body, sending shocks through it. He glanced at her and became pissed to see she wasn't even touching her head. She was examining her arms.

"What the hell?" he hissed. "Your head hit my chin – don't act like it doesn't hurt!"

She stared at him.

"Oh it did?" she asked absentmindedly. "I just… well, the bruises, you know. I'm bruised all over. That's why I said 'ouch,' you know." She held out her hand, and closed her eyes. "I'll take care of some of it. I may have broken a bone here or there…"

Sasori once again resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I should have just left you," he snapped. "I should have just left you to try and read that damn tablet."

Something flitted across her face, like a dark shadow, Sasori did not know she was capable of. After their last episode of _her_ saving _him_ in the most miserable situation he had ever encountered, he honestly saw her as surrounded by, well, rainbows and butterflies with a thick, heavy halo at the top of her head. He had seen her upset about her friends, but this… this was something else. It had things he saw in himself, saw in Deidara – it had _ambition_. It had something more.

But it had passed as soon as it came, and his partner remarked dryly, "Well, why didn't you? Where are we now anyway?"

Sasori sighed at her, figuring he might as well answer honestly.

"The mountain crumbled," he explained. "I managed to get us out of there by carrying you – you were knocked out pretty quickly. I suppose all our adventures finally wore you out. But it doesn't matter. We're in a mountain range now. I'm not quite sure where we are even."

She nodded slowly taking the information in, and then she cocked an eyebrow at him imploringly.

"I guess," he said stiffly, "I saved you because…" His voice became hesitant. "Well, I owed you one. And besides, much as I hate to admit it, I've decided your company isn't entirely intolerable."

She smiled slightly, letting out a small laugh.

"How far do you think we are from Konoha?" she asked him as she stood up a little more steadily than he expected. He frowned.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, "but I'm sure you'll find your way back home. We're not in the cave anymore. We're free."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I can use my powers."

She nodded, and something about that wasn't right. Sasori stared at her confused, puzzled by her and also by himself. Why was her nod, her one insignificant movement, so strange? It was so casual and unassuming…

Sasori froze as he came upon a sudden realization. She should have been _scared_ when he said he could finally use his strength. Scratch that, she should have been terrified. He was a great ninja – a member of the legendary Akatsuki! He could've and should've killed her where she stood…

But there was something wrong with that, too. In his world, pre-cave, he would have fought her, and while she may have put up an interesting fight, he knew he would have prevailed. But in the cave, he had come to rely on her utterly and completely, and something had happened – something had formed.

When he was in the cave, he had never thought so far ahead, never wondered what he would do once they got out. Maybe, he had simply assumed he would kill her. But now, he realized, even now, he didn't want to kill her. He wanted her to be, well, safe.

He decided he would leave her.

He knew she would be fine without him; hell, she'd probably be better off without him considering all the problems his presence stirred up. She'd get home, be with her friends who surely missed her, and just go on with life, hardly remembering the cave episode and her unique partner in it. Maybe, one day, she'd hear about Akasuna no Sasori by word of mouth and briefly wonder if that Sasori was her friend Sasori, her companion in the cave.

_And_ maybe one day, he'd hear something about Haruno Sakura accomplishing a deed that would cause the whole Akatsuki to buzz, and he would smile somewhat fondly before continuing on whatever killing spree he happened to be on at that time. Their paths would probably never cross. Haruno Sakura had nothing to do with the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki had nothing to do with her.

And she was a tough girl. Like everyone else, she'd probably die in the name of a mission, but she was also resourceful. A medic ninja. Maybe, she'd simply be safe. It wasn't too much to hope for.

"Well, I'm afraid, Sakura, this is where we split," he said plainly. "We'll look together for a more familiar area, and then, I suppose, I have to return to where I came from. I'm guessing you have to do the same."

He saw the disappointment cross over her face, but that quickly turned to acceptance – as he knew it would – and she smiled at him.

"Yeah," she said as she dusted off her clothes. "Yeah. This was fun, but Naruto's probably home by now." She laughed. "He may even be worried about me."

Once again, Sasori froze. _Naruto_… It was such a familiar name… Maybe she had said it before…

"Naruto?" he repeated curiously. She nodded at him, still smiling.

"Yes," she replied. "Uzumaki Naruto. One of my greatest friends and oldest teammates."

Uz…u…maki… Naruto… the, the-

"The kyuubi," Sasori breathed almost silently. Sakura frowned at him.

"Something wrong?"

Sasori stared at her. She was best friends with the Akatsuki's prime target. Hell, she was that target's teammate!

Sasori weighed his options. Sakura was, admittedly, a great friend. He admired her. He really liked her. And he felt so seldom about others like this that ruining it would have been a shame. But on the other hand, he now had an amazing lead into one of the Akatsuki's top missions. It was a completely golden opportunity, so rare and impossible, that giving it up went against every part of him, body and soul.

Never mind. He would stay with her and use the girl.

"It's nothing," Sasori said with a shrug, acting innocent as he laid the bait. "I was just thinking that I haven't seen Konohagakure in such a long time. And Uzumaki Naruto sounds like such a native name from there… I know it sounds a little odd, but-"

"Oh!" Sakura interrupted, completely oblivious to any malicious content. "Would you like to come see the Leaf then? I'm sure Tsunade-sensei wouldn't mind. And I could use the company."

He nodded automatically. Bingo.

"Yeah," he said. "I'd love to."

She grinned at him.

"You know, if you want to hear native names, how about Uchiha Sasuke?" she asked teasingly. "He, Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei – we were all one unit."

Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke, Sasori thought. By God.

In truth, he couldn't believe he had never asked this before. She was great friends with Kakashi of the Sharingan. Her other peer was Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi's younger brother. He had heard that the young ninja had gained immense strength and worked alongside one of the Akatsuki's greatest foes, Orochimaru. Amazing. The girl was a spider web of connections.

But something tore at him, and he didn't know what it was, and when he finally realized it, he groaned. He wished that he _had_ asked about her friends before, _had_ discovered that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were names that she could drop freely and easily… before. Because, if he _had_, then, none that had happened would have happened. He never would have grown close to her, and instead would have looked at her as a tool. He would have been able to dispatch her in an instant without feeling a thing.

But what had happened in the cave was irrevocable. Although he had simply figured she would be a small part, she was a part of him nonetheless. Like Deidara was. He cared about her. He didn't really want to do her body harm.

Still, he knew what his duty was. And besides, though he put her at risk, she didn't really have to _die_.

"Kakashi?" he asked curiously, playing along. "He's quite famous."

Sakura laughed.

"Ugh, Kakashi-sensei is so difficult!"

"Well, I'd be difficult if I had to coach you."

She swatted him playfully. He couldn't help but grin. And it was painful because it was a natural grin. And it was representative of a friendship he was about to brutally use.

"Idiot!" she snorted. "You're difficult anyway!"

----

"I think we're lost," Sakura announced. "It doesn't have the same meaning as it once did, but Sasori, I'm disappointed in you. I would have thought that a great ninja like you could've figured out the way to a village."

"This is _your_ damn homeland," Sasori snarled, clearly frustrated as well. "Or maybe we've just made a habit of getting lost at this point."

Sakura sighed. She wouldn't have been surprised. They were a highly dysfunctional team.

But Sakura was glad she was with him. And she was grateful for the change in atmosphere. Now, being lost felt like a funny joke – not at all like the sick, twisted prank of the cave. It was relaxing, kind of like a vacation.

And she was glad he was with her because for a second, she thought he would disappear forever, and while she had halfway expected an act like that from a ninja like him, she had felt the sadness come along anyway. When he said he was leaving her, she felt a little empty inside. His change of heart was a surprise, but Sakura pounced on the chance, and she was glad she did. The walk home would have been especially lonely if she was not only all by herself but had also lost a good friend.

"Everything will work out in the end," she assured him. "You know, we're probably right on the outskirts of the village."

Sasori looked around.

"It's getting dark," he muttered. "How well can you see?"

"I can see fine," Sakura snapped, somewhat annoyed. Okay, so she wasn't super-human puppet ninja, but she _was_ a ninja! And a damn good one, too! She had dark vision! Yeah, dark vision!

She knew Sasori was probably rolling his eyes.

"I'm not saying you're weak," he snapped at her. "I'm just trying to be practical here."

"Well, you sound like a condescending jack ass!"

He bristled.

"Well, you _are_ a stupid, selfish bitch!"

"At least I'm pretty!"

"Hell, _I'm_ prettier than you!"

It was too much. Sakura burst out laughing while Sasori stared confused before quickly becoming embarrassed, and inwardly, she felt very warm. Even in the real world and not that damned excuse for cave, he was just… well, Sasori to her. He was just her friend. And even though she hurled insults at him more than she hurled punches, even she could appreciate some playful banter. And she could especially appreciate playful banter with a cute – if not altogether human – guy.

"Oh, whatever," he grumbled, and Sakura continued to laugh.

"Well it's true," she admitted when her laughter died down. "You _are_ undeniably beautiful, madam."

He didn't have anything to say to that, and if he did, he kept his mouth shut. Sakura enjoyed the comfortable silence, and although he kept his pout on his face, she knew that he did, too. They continued walking, evening approaching, and Sakura shuddered slightly. It was a little chilly. And there was no place to go, really…

"Sakura," Sasori said slowly, interrupting the quiet. "There's a village ahead." He pointed his finger to the lights before him, and Sakura smiled. Some things never changed. However, her grin faded as she examined the town ahead.

"Yeah," she said, "but it's not Konohagakure."

He shrugged.

"Well," he said finally. "It's a place to stay. And they'll probably have directions to Konohagakure. Shall we go?"

She smirked at him.

"We've been through the undead, our worst nightmares, and staircases," she chuckled. "I think that we could rest up at the village and be fine."

----

**AN**: So… they are now out of the cave and into reality. But don't worry. The town is only going to last like a chapter. It is by no means the damn cave. Nothing mysterious there… just some drunks. And some guys who hit on Sakura. It's a bit more lighthearted. The next few chapters are.

Oh, and by the way… oh my gosh, thanks for the reviews, and THANK YOU ALL THE ORIGINAL READERS! I am so shocked I have so many people who read the story like way back when… it boggles my mind. I am sorry that I don't respond to everyone individually; if I'm supposed to do that, if it's proper web etiquette, please, please let me know. Usually, I just respond when there's a question asked that I can answer. Otherwise, I don't because… I'm lazy. But not unappreciative. Maybe I seem like that, but honestly, I'm just completely clueless. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next few chapters (there should be like twenty-two, twenty-three total). They will not come as quickly as this one; expect updates on weekends. Let me be honest: I don't really want to write this story, but I'm not going to half-ass it. I promise. I'll work on it even harder than before.


	12. Unwelcome Thoughts

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ isn't mine.

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**12**: Unwelcome Thoughts

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"Why do you think the mountain collapsed?"

Sasori was frowning as he turned to face her from their sitting positions. Sakura was already looking at him, drink in hand. They had come to the small and homely village, and decided to rest the night. But before finding a hotel, Sakura had wanted to get some real food and drink, and Sasori had obliged. They had settled on a bar for no other reason other than that the stands were closed, and a table for two would have been awkward. Sakura wasn't even sure if she knew how to behave in a formal restaurant anymore. The bar they picked was smoky and a little smelly (and maybe a little shifty), but along with sake, they had ramen. Naruto would've been in heaven, and Sakura couldn't resist.

"I don't know," Sasori admitted slowly. "I hadn't really thought about that. I guess I was just so thrilled we had gotten out of there."

"Right before we found the secret," Sakura said darkly, and Sasori gave her a long look, a look she wasn't sure how to interpret.

"Mountains don't just collapse," Sasori said, changing the subject. "Something, or more likely _someone_, caused it to fall."

Sasori seemed utterly lost in thought as he turned away from her and onto the drinks behind the bar, as he seemingly pondered their escape. Sakura decided to let him think, and she in turn thought on what he had said. _Someone_… She wondered if anyone from Konoha had caused the mountain to fall – maybe, she realized quickly, to save _her_. Or maybe Sasori had connections, and they had come to save _him_.

Somehow this thought made her frown. _Connections_. That was right; Sasori didn't really have friends, did he?

"Hey, Sasori," she said.

He snapped out of whatever thoughts he had immediately.

"What is it?"

"Don't you want to go home?" she asked him. "You have friends and stuff in Sunagakure, right?"

His eyes rolled, and he said sharply, "No. I don't _have_ friends." He paused for a second, and then gave her a slight, stiff nod. "Well, for the most part, anyway. It's the way of the Suna."

It was Sakura's turn to roll her eyes.

"Oh please," she said dryly, "Gaara-kun began changing that the second he became Kazekage. Besides, the Sand's definitely been lightening up _and_ becoming a stronger nation because of it."

"Well, I'm a little old for the Suna to have that effect on me," he snapped. "I liked the past way of doing things. Few enemies, fewer friends. That way there was no confusion between the two."

Sakura cocked a confused eyebrow at his statement. How could someone confuse a friend with an enemy? Oh well. It wasn't going to happen with _her_. She had friends that would last forever. Like Naruto, like Ino, like Kakashi-sensei. Even Sasuke-kun – he may have left, but he'd lost his way. He was her companion, her partner, first – far before being a betrayer. Hell, he was the great love of her life!

"Well, that's just-"

But, she never got to finish her statement because someone inevitably cut off her view from her friend.

"Excuse me, miss," a surprisingly good-looking guy cut in, "can I get you a drink?"

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Well, she _was_ at a bar… but it didn't really look like she was alone, did it?

"Anything you'd like," he continued, and Sakura put the pieces together. His breath smelled slightly of alcohol. She frowned. Well, Sasori and she had decided to eat pretty late, and they had decided to eat at, well, a bar, a place not full of the classiest company. She scanned the person before her. He was a genin, probably about her age, probably not at all a threat…

"No thanks," Sakura said, with a shrug. "I'm not really all that thirsty."

"And besides, she's with someone," Sasori snapped, thrusting the young ninja out of the way so Sakura could see him again.

The genin looked back and forth between Sakura, an amused grin forming slightly on her face as she faced her companion, and Sasori, an annoyed glare aimed straight at the intruder.

"Oh, sorry," the genin said. "I guess I was just completely blinded by the sight of such a beautiful lady."

Sakura giggled while Sasori's expression soured. Really, she should go to bars more often.

Sasori clearly wouldn't have agreed with that statement.

"Get lost," he told the genin flatly, but before the boy could turn to leave, Sakura grabbed his shoulder, spotting a golden opportunity.

"Hey," she said cheerfully, "you're from Konohagakure, right?"

The genin nodded.

"Yeah," he said sounding somewhat embarrassed. "Name's Akito. My team and I decided to rest the night. We're all guys, we're all just getting drunk, hitting on strangers, I guess. I did find the prettiest girl, though," he said with a quick nod to Sakura, "but I guess I've got a thing for girls with boyfriends."

"We're not-" Sasori interrupted, but cut himself off and just shook his head disgustedly, deciding not to argue.

"You've got good taste though," Sakura said with a smile. This wasn't a bad situation at all, she realized. She got complimented, Sasori squirmed, and there was potential for helpful information. Nice! "Do you know how far we are from Konohagakure?"

Akito nodded.

"Yes," he said, "we're like two days away. We're on the other side of the mountain range."

Oh, wow, Sakura thought, they had been blown to opposite end of the mountains… it was amazing. She shared a glance with Sasori who seemed to be thinking the same thing. He turned away from Sakura once more to face Akito.

"Hey, kid," he said rudely, and the kid flinched, but nodded politely at Sasori nonetheless. Sakura suppressed a laugh.

"Yes?"

"Did you hear about a mountain collapsing? Were you there?"

Sakura looked at the confusion on the boy's face, and she deflated slightly. No, he hadn't seen anything, and the chances of him having any more helpful information were practically nil. But –

"No," he said slowly, "but I do know that two jounin and a bunch of chuunin went there. Do you know Gai-san and Kakashi-san?"

Sakura nodded automatically. Sasori inclined his head slightly.

"Famous ninja," Sasori murmured dryly. "What are they doing out here in some mountain range? Surely, there can't be any important missions there."

"Well, Kakashi-san's team member got lost out there," Akito said. "It's not exactly a secret back in Konohagakure. The girl, I think it's a girl anyway, well, she hasn't been seen for a few weeks."

Suddenly, something appeared to hit the boy, despite being drunk.

"Hey…" he said slowly, "Are you the Konohagakure girl who-"

"That will be all," Sasori cut him off, pushing him away. The boy just looked at them both, a little disoriented and confused. Sasori pointed to the door.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," Sasori said calmly. "Beat it, kid. She's out of your league, anyway."

"Bye, Akito-kun," Sakura said sweetly with a wave, as the young genin walked away. She grinned at her clearly aggravated companion.

"That wasn't so bad," she teased. "Now aren't you glad you're with a pretty girl? Otherwise, you'd be entirely lost."

"Without a pretty girl, I wouldn't be in this mess," Sasori snapped back, clearly annoyed at the entire scenario. He paused for a second before saying, "And who the hell said you're pretty, other than hotshot over there?"

For a second, Sakura wanted to bring up his whole "out of your league" thing that he had just said, but realized that he had probably only used it to insult Akito-kun. Instead, she just shook his head as he called for a drink – to look unsuspicious, she was sure, as he couldn't actually _drink_ his beverage – and reclined back, thinking of what she had just learned.

Weeks… they had been away for weeks… And it was a big deal, even back in Konohagakure – so big a deal that even an insignificant genin knew about it. And-

Kakashi-sensei and friends had come for her. Briefly, she wondered if Naruto had been there. Her heart warmed at their gesture, and she felt proud of their success.

"Well at least we know how the mountain collapsed," Sakura said as Sasori took his drink from the bartender. "Looks like we can count on great ninja." Her eyebrows furrowed a minute later. "But it's weird that we've been gone for so long."

Sasori frowned as he drummed his fingers along the bar's edge.

"It's a little unsettling," he admitted. "We've been away from civilization for, well, not for a long time, but long enough."

"Yeah," Sakura said quietly. "But it feels even longer. I think that civilization's the wrong word."

She looked at him directly, her emerald eyes meeting his in perfect understanding, an understanding so perfect that neither had to say a thing. Yes, civilization was the wrong word. It had not been civilization that they had been away from; they had been in a different world altogether. She had been his protector; he had been her guide. It wasn't quite like that anymore, she realized. It hadn't dawned on her until that moment.

He didn't need her help, and she didn't need his. But…

He was still here. She was still here.

"This is so weird," she blurted out. He glanced at her curiously, and she blushed.

"I mean," she muttered, "I just feel weird being here with you. In the cave you know, we were sort of forced to become friends."

"We still are," Sasori muttered, and immediately, she felt herself lighten at those words. "It doesn't feel weird, really."

"It's weird," Sakura said, drawing together all her jumbled thoughts, "because it _should_ feel weird, but it doesn't. It feels… right." She smiled at him, and he looked at her, the corner of his own lips tugging up. She almost laughed at her own conclusion.

"We have a friendship that transcends lifetimes."

Then suddenly, his slight grin was replaced with the most confused expression she ever could have pictured on his face. Just for a moment, he looked like a child – a lost and confused child with nowhere to go, with no home to return to. And oddly, he almost looked like a child caught in the act of doing something wrong and felt terribly guilty about it, almost as if they had never felt guilty before.

But Sakura blinked, and it was gone, replaced with the slight smirk she had come to know him for.

"Maybe we do," he agreed. "Let's try and keep it that way."

----

Sakura smiled as she nestled her head into the pillow, relieved to smell so fresh and to feel so soft. The life of a ninja was supposed to be hard, but even the best, she knew, could appreciate a little break.

They only had enough money for one room; "a little awkward" as Sakura put it, but it didn't really matter as Sasori didn't sleep, and Sakura had been sleeping in front of him for the past few weeks anyway.

"Rest up," Sasori said calmly from his sitting position on the wooden floor. "You need it."

Sakura's smile widened slightly at his comment. He had come to treat her much more kindly than she imagined he was capable of. He did have a heart, didn't he? It was so funny that just a few weeks ago, she had thought he was no more than a monster.

A few weeks…

"We've been gone a long time, haven't we, Sasori?" she asked softly. "I wonder… if my friends have given up… I wonder if they think I'm dead…"

She could feel Sasori's frown and confusion, and when he spoke, he said exactly what Sakura knew he would.

"Does it matter?" he said blankly. "If they did, they'll probably be overjoyed to see you, at least if they're ninja like you are anyway. And if they didn't, it just goes to show that they're optimistic fools, and things will return to normal for you automatically." He snorted. "When you get home, your commander should have you going on missions in an hour."

"That's not usually how they do it in Konoha," Sakura argued. "They usually give us a little time to wait. We're a community. We're a _family_."

"That's silly," Sasori shot back immediately. "We're not like that in the Suna."

Sakura rolled over on her bed and saw him looking like right her. She shook her head at him.

"You're supposed to listen to your leader," she said, her voice flat. "I thought a great ninja like you would hear Gaara's words when he said that the Suna was to be more of a community from now on."

"Gaara's a child," Sasori said ruthlessly.

"No, he's a ninja!" Sakura shot back. "He never had a childhood – trust me, I know him! And I know that everyone's saying he'll be the best Kazekage Sunagakure ever had, _ever_, even better than the third."

Something odd raced across Sasori's features when she said that, but when he spoke, his words did not match his face.

"I'd hope so," he scoffed. "The third disappeared, never to return." But then, he smiled slightly, as if in reflection. "The rumors say he was killed by one of the most promising ninja of his time."

Sakura froze. Completely.

It was the first time, she realized, where she saw Sasori for something else, _really _saw him for something else because now, she thought she knew him only to realize she didn't. He was smiling as he told that anecdote, smiling as if it was something he had personally done himself. He made it sound as if he _had_.

Cold. Harsh. Inexplicably, inexplicably –

If she had known any better, she would have called him evil.

Sasori seemed to notice her silence, and any hint of his previous expression was wiped off his face.

"What is it, Sakura?" he asked, sighing slightly, and internally, Sakura shook her head. No, he wasn't evil. He looked out for her, asked her how she was. He cared about _her_, didn't he? He even offered to accompany her home…

No. That was wrong. At first, he didn't. She remembered that pain, the pain when he said he was going, distinctly. And then, she had said something, something that made him want to come.

She could not remember what it was that changed his mind. It had been a somewhat strange reason, but Sakura had dismissed it because for one, she was thrilled that Sasori would come with her, and for another, she knew Sasori was a strange man. But maybe, maybe it wasn't. Maybe, she had said something that Sasori saw as a good opportunity. Maybe, it had been something actually relevant.

She couldn't trust him. Things weren't as solid as the way they were before. Sasori was not supportive of the leader of Sunagakure; he had mentioned it at dinner before. He changed his mind on a whim, something a ninja of his stature was not supposed to do. And he was, as she had recognized long before but had practically forgotten, a strong and deadly presence. Not one that stuck with teenage girls when he didn't have to.

"Come on, Sakura," Sasori said, clearly annoyed by her silence. "Tell me what's bothering you. You can trust me."

"Can I?" Sakura snapped, and immediately, she regretted it. The honesty in her voice was so raw – she knew that he knew that she wasn't lying or joking around, and she saw that in the surprise evident on his face.

There was a silence in the small room, and Sakura began to fear Sasori, truly fear him, for the first time. He would kill her. That was it, she was suspicious, and he would kill her, bring her body back to Konohagakure and get whatever he needed to get from there.

Sasori stood up, while Sakura's mind braced. She had removed her weapons – against the ninja code, but they were heavy, she was tired, and Sasori had promised to defend her against any threats – and she could do nothing, she knew, not from her position, and not fast enough. He walked over to her bed, and Sakura found that she could not even move, not even as he reached for her… That was it…

But instead of immediately going for her spinal cord or her brain, Sasori instead reached for the blanket resting just slightly over her waist. Gently, he lifted the covers and guided them slowly over her torso, right beneath her neck. His hand brushed her exposed shoulder, and as the sheets floated over her, she relaxed.

"You're shivering," he said calmly, the smallest of a – was it _sad_? – smile etched lightly upon his face. Sakura had never seen him so soft and genuine. He wasn't acting, she knew, Sasori could never act like this (it was simply not his style) and no powerful ninja ever had a reason to. "If you can't even put yourself to bed, you truly are incompetent."

He returned to his spot on the floor, his back against the wall again.

"Maybe you can't trust me, maybe you can," he said curtly as he leaned back, all the softness in his voice completely gone. "But look, it's as you said earlier. I do care about you, Sakura." He looked at her. "I can't _not_ care about you."

He sounded so blunt, that Sakura could almost believe him.

"You sure?" Sakura asked passively. She did not want to risk anything again by sounding accusing.

"Yeah," he said, and once again, she detected truth – truth like when he spoke about art – laced faintly in the back of his voice. "It's a weakness, but we've been through a little too much for me to lie about it. We're close. You've said it yourself."

Sakura nodded slowly at him.

"Maybe," she agreed.

"No, definitely." To her surprise, he let out a laugh – harsh, perhaps, but almost real – and shook his head. "Get to bed, Sakura. I swear you'll be alive and in one piece in the morning."

She wrinkled her nose before laughing herself. That was right – deadly ninja aside, she could laugh with Sasori and smile with him. And undoubtedly, he could do the same with her.

"That's disgusting!" she grinned at him. "Though I don't know – you'll never know if that Akito boy has his way."

A look of revulsion and something else that Sakura didn't recognize spread across his face. It was _his_ turn to be disgusted.

"Just go to bed," he muttered, rolling his eyes. Sakura giggled slightly, let go of her paranoia if only for that moment, and allowed herself to drift to her dreams.

----

**AN**: I'm weirdly happy with this chapter. I felt that this one went along better with the rest of the story than the last two. But then again, I felt this way about the last chapter, and now I can't stand it. They sort of go together; Sasori's acting shifty, and Sakura feels suspicious. BTW, I say that all bars should serve sake and ramen. I don't know Japanese bars, so at least I'll pretend _Naruto_ bars do.

Thank you for all your reviews! I'm so touched, really, so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!


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